Intertwined
by seaoftrees
Summary: With a little luck and a scholarship, Asch has been accepted into one of the most prestigious and aristocratic colleges in all of Auldrant: Keterburg Academy. Although the boarding school seems normal at first, he soon finds out that there are much more sinister things going on behind the frozen walls.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Just a little heads up, this is a romance with non-canon pairings and some of the backstories of certain characters have been altered to fit within the story. (I will always write characters as close as I can to their personalities so hopefully no cheesy OOC scenes.) Also, it does _start_ with long-haired Luke which means his character is not what you'd expect at first, (Ugh, remember the first couple hours of the game?) but that certainly won't be the case for the entire story.

* * *

"They're all looking at us, Asch!"

"Shut up! Just ignore it!" Asch hissed back as he navigated his way through the freezing marble halls. The fresh snow falling outside framed every window they passed and the same glazed navy color coated every door; the school had a uniform and silent appearance inside and out.

As the halls finally cleared out while the students shuffled to class, the pair stopped in front of a marked blue door that was similar to the one on the map the secretary had marked off for Asch. The golden lettering on the door matched the name of his new professor, so it was safe to assume they made it to the right place. Of course, he'd thought the same thing thirty minutes earlier when they'd been on the wrong end of the campus. Someone finally took pity on them and drew out a more visual map, explaining that the campus was like a compass: there were four different buildings built around one, giant courtyard in the center of the compass. It was hard to tell apart one building from the next, since they all had the same looming pillars and chrome and cerulean color scheme.

However, they'd finally ended up here, standing in the shadow of the classroom right through the walls.

"Do you think we are late, Sync?" Asch muttered even though he hadn't even tried to open the door yet.

"I bet we are, since we spent forever wandering around lost! You know what, this was a bad idea in the first place. We should just drop out, I mean did you hear what the secretary called us? The 'Scholarship Boys'? They think that they can treat us however they want just because we aren't rich like the rest of these damn idiots!" Sync replied disdainfully while planning his escape through the nearest exit.

"Probably because we can," A voice said from behind the pair. The same student gave them a sneer as he pushed past both Asch and Sync, making sure to bump them on his way through.

"What is your problem?" Asch spat out. He knew his anger was unnecessary; they'd been through worse in the past two hours of their wanderings, but for some reason it was almost as if the smug look on his face was asking for a fight.

"Asch, drop it. We don't need any unnecessary trouble. Let's just go," Sync muttered quietly.

With his hand on the door handle, the boy turned around and mimicked, "Yeah, Asch, why don't you just drop it? What are freshmen like you doing here anyway?"

Before Asch could ready a comeback the door suddenly swung opened and the professor gave them all a dazzling smile.

"Ah, yes, I thought I heard voices out here. You two are the new students, right: Asch and Sync? I won't count you late this time, but as for you, Luke, I can't seem to find the space in my heart to forgive you."

Luke nonchalantly replied, "Yeah, yeah, just put it on my tab. We both know this definitely won't be the last time."

The professor rolled his eyes as Luke strolled past him and replied, "Well, if you had to pay me for all of your absences, your parents would both be bankrupt. Please avoid such taxing metaphors."

Asch and Sync took advantage of the silence and walked into the wide room. They were only about twenty other students in the giant space, which wasn't surprising considering how selective the college was.

"Right, then, now that we're all here I guess an introduction is necessary. I'm Jade, this is Organic Chemistry One, and there are some seats at the tables in the back. I'm going to end up pairing you off in groups of two so you'll have the same partner throughout the year. Here's a copy of the syllabus; just read it over and wait for further instruction."

They both said a quick thanks, and headed for the seats in the back before anyone noticed them. Everyone was sitting at pretty standard lab tables, although the equipment neatly organized on top rivaled the first-rate technology in the Belkend Laboratories.

After sitting down, Asch pulled out a notebook and pen, hoping not to miss anything Jade said. He neatly tucked his messy hair behind his ears and started to begin writing before he caught something out of the corner of his eye. He groaned as he noticed Luke and his blonde friend staring right at him while whispering. After a couple of seconds they both started laughing and Asch felt anger flare up from his stomach and straight to his lungs, making each breath he took hot and heavy.

"Asch, remember what I said? We're better than them," Sync said crossly as he glared over in their direction.

"I think the princess is upset!" Luke audibly whispered in Guy's ear when he met Asch's glare of hatred in his direction.

Asch took a deep breath before focusing his attention on the board; he definitely was not going to let _them_ get the better of him.

* * *

The lesson was easy enough, seeing as the first week is usually just review of basic information. The only real problem was that he already assigned them a project, which was an easy enough task for Asch if they didn't have to do it in pairs. He quickly put his stuff away in his bag before Sync and he headed for the door.

"Not so fast, you two! You're forgetting this."

Jade handed them both a schedule with different handwritten notes on it for the both of them.

"Don't go thinking you're so special, now, because I made one of these for everyone. This basically lists out my schedule, when my exams are, who you're going to work with, and so on. You two, in the back! Come get your schedules and do me the favor of kindly exiting my room."

Sync and Asch turned around and noticed that Luke and his friend still hadn't left, either. Jade was obviously as unamused as they were and nodded for the pair to leave.

"Is this a joke?!" Asch yelled out into the hall.

"Asch, what's wrong?" Sync said. The hall was mostly empty, but there were still a couple of students who turned around in alarm.

"He did this on purpose, I know he did!" Asch said fuming as he forced his schedule into Sync's hand.

Sync looked it over and replied, "I don't see anything wrong. Wait a second, does it say your lab partner is Luke-"

"Fon Fabre. Make sure to pronounce it right next time." Asch rolled his eyes and turned around to meet the sarcastic smile of the other.

Ignoring Luke, Sync handed his schedule over to Asch and said, "Look who I got, Asch. It says his name is 'Guy', like seriously, who names their kid that? What if I ask him a question like, "Hey, Guy, hand me that?' and some other guy turns around? What about when people are talking about 'That Guy' and they are actually talking about this Guy? What if-"

"It's short for Gailardia, a treasured family name," The blonde student finally said over Sync's ramblings.

"Nice to meet you then, um, Guy." Sync said quietly.

A long moment of silence fell over the four students as they all quietly fumed over their new partners. Luke finally spoke up and said, " Alright, alright, whatever, I'm the only one who has a normal name anyway so just get over it already. I think this will work out best if you do all the work and I write my name on it before we turn it in, right, Asch?"

"Just stay out of my way," Asch growled back.

"Not so fast, you two. These group projects are just what the name implies; group projects. There's 100 points you can earn between the two of you, so if Asch does all the work the best you can make is 50 points. And yes, I'm a master at reading forged handwriting, but you can give it your best effort if you'd like."

The group all spun around as they realized Jade was standing right behind them.

"Where did he come from?" Guy whispered in fright.

"Have a nice day!" He said as he locked the door to his classroom and waved goodbye.

"Apartment Block A, Room 232. Come by at around six," Luke said casually as he walked away.

Guy sighed as he watched Luke leave and said, "Let's make this as painless as possible, right? We both have to make two separate projects between the four of us, but if we all work together it should only take an hour or two and we can all go our separate ways."

Guy soon followed after Luke, leaving Sync and Asch behind.

"Looks like Guy is pretty reasonable," Sync murmured thoughtfully.

"Looks like this is going to be a long semester," Asch muttered angrily as he crumpled up his schedule within his grip.

* * *

"Why are all these damn," Sync stopped to catch his breath mid-sentence, "apartment buildings so far away from campus?"

"You're just out of shape," Asch replied as he stepped over to the door.

"Yeah, whatever! Let's just hurry inside before I freeze to death!"

They both headed inside the warm lobby, and Asch immediately headed to the stairs without a second thought.

"Asch, why can't we just use the elevators?" Sync puffed out.

"It's only two flights, and besides," Asch glanced around warily before continuing, "I don't think we're all that welcome here."

Sync looked behind him and saw all the kids, who were lounging around on the leather couches, suddenly giving them condescending looks. Even the students gathered around the flatscreen, who were yelling about the coliseum match seconds before, were eyeing them with hushed whispers.

"It's like we're celebrities, huh?" Sync joked sarcastically. Asch rolled his eyes and pulled Sync into the stairwell.

After finally reaching the top of the stairwell and crossing the hall, they both stopped in front of the door marked 232.

"You can do this."

"Right."

"It's only for an hour or two."

"Right."

"You're better than him and, who knows, maybe he'll fail out and you can get a new partner?"

"You always seem to know how to cheer me up," Asch said sarcastically, but he still couldn't help but to smirk at the thought of Luke sobbing on the deck of the last ship out in the morning.

The door suddenly swung open and Luke called out, "Guy, the green-haired kid is here!"

He looked over at Asch and theatrically rolled his eyes before saying, "Hurry up already."

* * *

So, I already have one or two chapters after this one typed up, but I'd really like some feedback if I should scrap the whole idea or keep going. Tell me what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Sync and Asch both stepped into the tastefully designed apartment and immediately realized just how big it was. Two sections divided the main room; the kitchen and the living room, although it was more of an open design concept and looked like one giant space. There was a hall that led further back off to the side, presumably winding back to a bedroom or two.

"This is huge for just two people!" Sync said as he looked around.

"You mean one person. Guy's room is on the third floor, and this is just my apartment. It's actually a lot smaller than my manor," Luke gloated as he gave Sync a tour around the place.

Sync always seemed to be absorbed in other people's things, and he also had a nasty habit of being a notorious pickpocket. That's how they'd met, actually; when Asch had moved to a different foster home when he was six, Sync tried to take some toy of his. He couldn't remember what it was, all he knew is that he caught Sync and the wrestled over it until someone split them apart and put them in time out. It turns out that Asch was the only person to have ever caught Sync stealing something in his entire career of thievery.

"Can we just get this over with?" Asch said crossly.

"You can't let him get to you, Asch. The more you react the more he's going to keep prodding. Just be the bigger person, because, believe it or not, Luke's having a really rough time right now," Guy responded as he pulled out his books.

"Doesn't look like it," Asch muttered back.

"Hey, do you think Jade would let us switch partners, Guy? Sync is a lot more fun than Asch!" Luke yelled from who knows where within the maze of an apartment.

"More like he's more of a suck up."

"That's how you move up around here, they say," Guy said while shrugging, "your friend has the right idea."

Guy continued, "Anyway, I don't think it works like that, Luke! Can we just go ahead and get started?"

"Ugh, you are such a bore, Guy. Alright, fine, what do I need to write?"

* * *

"There, done!" Sync yelled out in glee as Guy and he high-fived. It had definitely been longer than an hour or two; in fact, it was already ten. Asch and Luke had only finished half as much work as Sync and Guy, and they were in the middle of a yelling match.

"Luke, I'm leaving! When I come back tomorrow morning I'd better not find a dead body!" Guy yelled out over them and grabbed his bag.

"Do you want me to stay, Asch?" Sync said dejectedly, hinting at his desire to leave.

"No, you don't have to put yourself through any more of this torture," Asch groaned as he rubbed his eyes.

"Well, be careful on your way home because I heard it can get pretty sleazy out here the later you're out. See you later!" Sync said as he followed Guy out of the apartment. After the door clicked shut a silence fell over the apartment.

Asch finally looked up from his paper and saw Luke grinning back at him. "What is it now?"

"So, are you two dating, or what?" Luke said as he leaned back onto the couch and folded his arms behind his head.

"Are you kidding me?" Asch yelled as he slammed his book shut and stood up out of his seat.

"Woah, woah, calm down! I mean, it's obvious you swing that way because of how high-strung you are. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone; it's definitely not any of my business to judge you," Luke said smugly.

Asch tightened up his fists and yelled back, "You don't know shit about me, okay? But I definitely know your type; this school is where rich kids like you go to die. You're only at some boarding school as far off the map as possible because your parents _never_ want to see your face again! I doubt anyone even likes you, especially that blonde kid. You're just a burden to everyone, messing up everything you come in contact with!"

From the look of shock on Luke's face Asch knew he was dead on, but it didn't take long for the same arrogant composure to return to him. He took several haughty steps forward until he curtly replied, "At least I have parents, jackass."

Asch swung his fist even before he knew what he was doing and nailed Luke right in the mouth. Luke stumbled backward from the blow and when he pulled his hand back from his mouth there was blood dripping off his fingertips. He looked back up in shock at Asch who had already grabbed his stuff and watched him slam the door behind him.

Two flights of stairs and an empty lobby later, Asch found himself sitting outside in the billowing snow. He pulled his jacket in tighter to fend off the frost surrounding him and stared out into the moonlit sky as the flakes waltzed around in the whispering air. It was a long walk home, but maybe if he ran he could catch up with Sync. However, he couldn't even find the energy to think, much less get up.

Wondering how much time had passed since Sync had headed home, he fumbled around in his bag for his phone. It only took a couple of seconds for Asch to realize where he'd left it after a fruitless search through all the pockets.

"Son of a bitch," Asch cursed aloud as he remembered that it was still sitting up in Luke's apartment, right on the coffee table where he'd left it. He could just head home and then ask Sync to ask Guy to retrieve it for him, but it was probably for the best that he'd left it. If he was going to have to work with Luke for the entire semester, then he was going to have to find a way to deal with him.

Asch continued to sit outside for at least another hour before finally forcing himself right back in and up the stairs.

_What if he's gone to bed already?_, Asch thought as he headed down the hall. When he finally reached Luke's apartment he saw light illuminating from the cracks beneath and above the door. He took a deep breath before knocking twice on the door.

No answer.

He knocked again and when the silence continued, he said, "Luke, it's me. I left my phone."

No answer.

"Hey, look, I'm sorry for hitting you, okay?" Asch continued, but either Luke was blatantly ignoring him or he had just forgotten to turn the light off when he went to bed. When Asch tried the door handle, it immediately slid open and the warm room invited him in. Asch looked around the hall before stepping in, but found the living room empty.

"Can't even bother to lock his own door," Asch mumbled as he shut the door behind him. He walked over to the table next to where he was sitting and he saw his phone silently vibrating on the glass surface.

When Asch checked it, he had four texts from Sync.

_"Are you coming back anytime soon?"_

_"Asch, maybe it's time to come back."_

_"You okay?"_

_"Fine, ignore me."_

He sighed and exited out of his messages without bothering to reply. Sync couldn't stay mad for long, in fact, he was probably just worried. Suddenly Asch remembered what he'd needed his phone for in the first place: the time.

The phone blankly stated that it was 12:50 A.M., and the three hours that slipped past so quickly stunned him. Of course, now that he had his phone, he could probably make it back to his own room by two and get some rest before Jade yelled at him for not finishing their first assignment.

_Is it rude to just leave like this? I should probably go say something to Luke, if he's awake_, Asch thought. He mulled over his two options before begrudgingly heading back through the dim hall.

"Luke?" Asch said as he knocked on the closed bedroom door. There was no answer so he slowly creaked it open only to find it tidy and empty. He shut the door and couldn't help but to feel an eerie suspicion began to creep up his spine. Something seemed wrong about the situation, but he couldn't figure out what and decided that finding Luke would probably give him his answer.

He yelled out Luke's name once again, this time a little less composed, but the stale silence of the apartment was his only response. After he pulled open every closet he could find and checking the living room again, Asch realized that the apartment was empty. It occurred to Asch that Luke could have just left and gone to Guy's room to complain about his bloody mouth, but the unsettling feeling in his stomach gave the apartment a horrible aura, almost as if he was missing something important, almost as if he'd forgotten something.

After a few indecisive moments, he decided to ignore his discomfort and made his way for the exit. Just as he put his hand on the door handle, a loud thud coming from back of the apartment. Asch immediately turned around and headed back to where Luke's bedroom was. He'd only taken a peek in there because it felt rude to go through his things, but now he was barging in the space. Off to the left there was another door, obviously leading into a bathroom Asch failed to notice. He walked over to it and knocked, hoping Luke would answer.

"I know you're in there, and if you don't answer I'm just going to come in," Asch said as he waited for a response. When no one replied he forced his way in.

Luke lay on the tiled floor with his arms crossed over his face, almost as if the light was too bright. Asch could help but to glance around in awe for a few seconds over the sheer size of the bathroom, complete with a separate shower to the left and the huge bathtub to the right. The sink was near the door, and the granite countertops reflected his face almost better than the mirror did. He suddenly snapped out of his shocked trance and headed over to Luke.

"What are you even- no, why the hell didn't you answer me?"

Asch pulled him up to an unstable sitting position and Luke slowly opened his eyes before glancing around the bathroom with an odd look on his face. After a couple of seconds, he noticed Asch in front of him and slurred out, "Asch, what are you doing here?"

Asch kneeled down next to him and looked Luke up and down. He was unhealthily pale and definitely sweating, even though the bathroom was giving Asch a chill himself. His eyes seemed glazed over, and when Asch brought his hand to Luke's forehead it felt hot and clammy.

"Are you drunk or sick or something?" Asch asked warily as he pulled his hand away.

"Why do you care? You want me dead, just like everybody else," He replied and pushed away from Asch.

"I don't want you dead, Luke," Asch said with an annoyed tone and finally added, "and I didn't mean what I said, okay? Sorry."

Luke slowly lifted his head to look over at Asch and let out a weak laugh. He shook his head and replied, "I'm sorry, too. Sorry for you, sorry for Guy, sorry for everyone."

"Luke, I have no idea what you're talking about, and you have about five seconds to tell me what's going on," Asch growled.

When Luke didn't answer, Asch stood up and looked around the room. Nothing was out of the ordinary, in fact, everything in this entire apartment was spotless. He glanced back over at Luke who looked as if he was unconscious at this point and suddenly he understood what was going on.

Cursing at his own stupidity, Asch almost immediately found the evidence he was looking for: an empty orange bottle in the pocket of Luke's jacket. Luke seemed to notice that Asch finally caught on and lazily held up the bottle, laughing while shaking it, as if the rattling noise of the few pills left in it were some sort of joke.

"What did you do?! How much did you take?!" Asch yelled out as he threw the bottle aside and shook Luke by his shoulders.

"Enough."

Asch slowly let go of him and started trembling from shock. He paced around the huge bathroom with his hands tangled up in his hair and yelled out curses until he finally looked back over at Luke on the floor and said, "I can't believe I have a suicidal lab partner."

"You could just leave you know. Pretend you never saw me, pretend like you never came back. I won't bother you anymore, or anyone at all. You can pass your class and I'll be off my parents hands and-"

"Bullshit!" Asch snapped back. There was a split second Asch had actually considered that, but the immediate guilt that followed shook him of the idea.

He took a deep breath before asking, "Where are the doctors on this campus?"

Luke laughed again and said, "There is one nurse, and her ship got delayed."

"Well there are plenty of medical students on this campus and-"

"Give up," Luke mumbled back.

Asch turned around and noticed that Luke was slowly but steadily drifting off. He managed to grab the front of his shirt before Luke smacked his head on the tile, and shook him until he opened his eyes again.

"Give up already, Asch! You have no idea what's going on in my life!" Luke snarled as he tried to throw Asch off.

Biting back his anger, he tried to focus on all the options he had left. He knew enough about overdoses to realize that the best option to stop or at least slow down the rush of drugs is to purge all out of medicine still in the person's system.

"Go throw up now, or so Yulia help me I will make you!" Asch yelled back.

"Good luck." Luke smirked and his eyes shut again. It only a few moments later until he was yelling as Asch started pulling him by his hair over to the toilet.

"Last chance for you to keep any dignity you have left," Asch growled.

"Try me," Luke said although he was stumbling through his words now and whatever anger he had left was lost in the confused syllables.

Asch pushed aside his own urge to throw up and rolled up his sleeve. He fought against Luke's struggles and managed to pry open his mouth enough to force two fingers down his throat. The sound of Luke's gagging made him cringe away, but he tried his best to keep his composure. It didn't take long for Luke to throw up the first wave of pills and vomit, and Asch shakily pulled his hand out of Luke's mouth in disgust.

"B-bastard," Luke stuttered out, but before he could say anything else he forcefully threw up again.

Asch got up and washed his hand off in the sink and replied, "You want me to do it again?"

The only response he got was the sound of Luke throwing up, which was a good sign since Asch knew he was bluffing and couldn't force himself to do that again.

"Where's your phone?" Asch asked angrily as he came back over to hold his hair back.

Luke wiped his mouth off before answering, "My pocket."

Asch fished it out and looked through the contacts before he could find Guy's number. He kept one hand holding Luke's hair as he went in for another round of puking and impatiently waited for Guy to pick up.

"Luke, you do realize its two in the morning right?" A disheveled voice said from the phone.

"Guy! Shit," Asch braced the phone between his shoulder and ear as he caught Luke as he suddenly fell backward.

"Luke? No, wait, Asch, what are you doing on Luke's phone?"

"Get your ass down to Luke's apartment, now!" Asch yelled and tossed the phone aside.

"I can't throw up anymore," Luke whimpered as he looked up at Asch with a dimming green gaze.

The swift personality change from his snobbish attitude to this frail figure in front of him left Asch thoroughly confused. Just hours ago he'd been arguing, mocking and trying to rile up Asch in any way shape or form he could, but now he looked so broken that Asch could barely even glance down at him without pity filling his lungs. Guy told him beforehand that Luke was going through a rough time, but this severe of a reaction wasn't something he could've even imagined;_ what was actually going on with Luke?_

Asch tried to shake out his guilty thoughts and saw that a lot of the pills he'd regurgitated were still intact, which was a good sign.

"One day, I paid attention in Psych class, and they said that benzodiazepines slow your heart down or something like that. And if you take enough then it eventually..." Luke trailed off.

Asch hooked his arms around Luke as he talked and hoisted him up to his feet. He then used an arm to support his stumbling figure and slowly dragged him into the main room before setting him down on the couch.

Suddenly Guy burst through the door with a baseball bat and yelled, "What's going on?"

Asch rolled his eyes and answered, "Put the damn bat away, you idiot. Do you know of any good medical students in this building?"

"No, the pre-med students are in a different building, besides, why do you need-" Guy suddenly noticed Luke and pushed Asch out of the way.

Luke barely seemed to acknowledge him, and Guy angrily turned back to look at Asch. "What the hell did you do?"

"We got into an argument, and I ended up punching him and leaving, but I left my phone and when I come back he's swallowed a bottle of pills and half unconscious on the bathroom floor and I didn't mean-" Asch felt himself beginning to break down as he tried to retell what happened.

Guy's expression softened and his anger dissolved as he watched Asch get more and more flustered.

"You didn't leave him, Asch. You even took care of this son of a bitch's even though he's been acting like a snob to you since you first met him. That's probably the only favor anyone's ever done him," Guy said softly as he brushed Luke's hair out of his face.

"Anyone would've done it," Asch muttered embarrassed but then continued, "and it doesn't even matter if he doesn't make it."

"I saw you in fonic artes class yesterday, don't you know how to use the seventh fonon?" Guy questioned.

"Were you spying on me or something? Besides, that class is for attack artes."

"You guys practice out in the courtyard and I noticed, that's all. You're better than most of them out there. So are you gonna help him, or what?"

"I've never even tried to heal anyone before. Just because I'm capable of using the seventh fonon doesn't mean-"

"We have no other choice, Asch. You only called me down here because you had nowhere left to turn, right? Well, this is it," Guy said quietly.

"I can't," Luke seemed stuck on that word for a while before he weakly forced out, "breathe."

"His respiratory system must be shutting down. Asch, I-I can't be here for this. Call me in the morning, okay, I can't be here if he-" Guy's voice started cracking and he ran out of the apartment.

"You aren't going to die," Asch whispered while shaking, and he placed his hands on Luke's chest and continued to repeat the phrase until a bright light enveloped the room.

"You aren't going to die, damn it!"


	3. Chapter 3

Asch didn't remember falling asleep, and he could barely remember waking up. Vivid orange sunlight slowly filled his vision as it escaped from behind the black curtains. Asch hadn't noticed yesterday, but the entire left wall of the main room was made up of glass.

His entire body felt so weak and numb that he could barely find the strength to open his eyes. When he finally squinted out the sunlight from his vision, he almost jumped back in shock. He definitely hadn't fallen asleep; he passed out from overexerting himself, and collapsed next to Luke on the couch.

Asch bit back the horror of thinking he slept next to a dead body and slowly looked over at the person next to him. The sunlight caressed Luke's pale skin with a warm glow and lit up his hair like burning embers. Asch couldn't help but to notice how innocent he looked in the morning light. It was morbid to think that a dead body might look beautiful, but Asch soon felt a wave of relief wash over him as he saw the steady rise and fall of Luke's chest beneath the blanket.

He pulled himself up out of the crevice between the back of the couch and Luke and absent-mindedly ran his fingers through the stray strands of Luke's tangled hair while trying to sort out what he should do next. His first instinct was to call Guy, but before he could, the apartment door swung open. Right on cue, it was Guy, of course, and his face was puffy and his eyes looked watery.

Guy looked at Asch waiting for an answer before Asch hoarsely said, "he's breathing, but-"

"You don't know if he'll actually wake up?" Guy said silently.

Asch ignored Guy and reached over to Luke's shoulder. He shook him lightly, but there wasn't a response.

Asch quickly pulled his hand away and muttered, "I can't do this. I can't be the one who-"

Guy walked over to Luke and put gripped both of his hands on Luke's shoulders and shook him slowly.

"He's always been a heavy sleeper, haven't you, Luke?" Guy said in a nervous tone, as if he was trying to reassure himself.

He started shaking him more forcefully and calling out his name until the room echoed with his voice. When Guy didn't get a response, he slowly set him back down on the couch.

"You've done more than I would've ever asked, Asch," Guy's words were trembling almost as much as his hands were when he forced them out, "I think I'm going to go call a teacher off campus, but once this gets out-"

"Hold on," Asch said as he pulled himself up. Just as fast as he was up, he was falling back down, but Guy managed to catch him.

"You have to be careful when using the seventh fonon, Asch! You could've killed yourself, too!" Guy yelled.

"So that's why I feel awful," Asch muttered as he regained his balance. He walked over to where Luke was sitting and looked at his helpless, sleeping figure. He brought his right hand up and swiftly backhanded Luke so hard that his hand was left stinging.

"Hey, what'd you do that for, jackass?" Two voices said in harmony. Guy suddenly realized he wasn't the only one who said that and stared over at Luke dumbfounded, then back at Asch with happiness brimming in his eyes.

"I just thought you weren't going to wake up," Asch said nonchalantly as he shook his hand out.

"Yeah, well, I did so what's your prob-" Luke stopped mid-sentence and started gagging. Asch reached over beside the couch and handed him the trashcan while looking away.

"Why do I feel like complete and utter shit?" Luke muttered after a couple of seconds.

"Do you not remember last night?" Guy yelled out furiously as he pushed his way past Asch. Asch wanted to be angry too, he wanted to be yelling along with Guy, trying to knock some reason into Luke's thick skull, but his anger disappeared sometime between last night and this morning.

"Yeah I remember Asch punching the shit out of me! But that's not why-" Luke slowly trailed off as it all started catching up with him.

"Did I really-"

When Luke finally finished his incoherent mumblings, he held his face in his hands and didn't respond.

"Whatever, it's in the past. If you're up to it, write down the things I've marked off in the empty spaces on this lab report and I'll go present it today, alone," Asch said.

"Are we just going to ignore what happened? You can't be serious, Asch! And Luke, are you not even going to thank him for saving your life?" Guy yelled out indignantly at the pair.

"I didn't ask him to. Here, hand me that pen," Luke replied as he picked up the papers.

"I expected as much. It's fine, Guy," Asch replied bitterly.

"Unbelievable! You shouldn't even be walking, Asch, you overextended yourself to the point of passing out! Maybe you both should just sit out on class today, and _Luke_ can learn how to apologize or at least-"

"I saved your best friend, so can you do something for me?" Asch asked firmly.

"What?" Guy questioned.

"Don't tell Sync. He doesn't need to know or even worry about this," Asch took the papers as Luke held them out, "got it?"

"Whatever you say," Guy said angrily as he left and slammed the door shut behind him.

While Asch was slowly checking over Luke's work, Luke finally spoke up and said, "You really stuck your hand down my throat?"

"Please stop reminding me, I'm not in the mood to throw up, too," Asch said coldly as the thought of it brought up bile in the back of his mouth.

"You know I woke up last night," Luke said and Asch looked up from the papers with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm not sure if it was because I was cold or," Luke stopped and thoughtfully rubbed his chin until he continued, "or maybe because a certain someone fell asleep on top of me and woke me up."

"I didn't fall asleep, I passed out, you asshole!" Asch hissed over his laughter.

Now that Asch thought about it, Luke did have a blanket when Asch first woke up, and there's no way Asch gave him one. But then why did Luke choose to sleep next to him instead of heading back to his bed? _Did he willingly want to sleep next to him?_

"Aw, are you blushing? It's okay to be embarrassed, Asch," Luke said while laughing, however, his laughs soon turned into coughs and he threw up again.

"That's karma right there, coming out of your mouth, if you're wondering. Anyway, I have everything I need from you for now, but Guy or I will be back after class," Asch said as he gathered his things.

"What, why?" Luke said puzzled.

"Because you're on suicide watch, and Guy and I are on guard duty," Asch said as he headed for the door.

"Wait," Luke said frantically as Asch almost shut the door.

"Thanks."

* * *

Asch managed to stay upright and attentive for his presentation, but as soon as he sat back down his brain shut off. He stared blankly at the clock for the next hour and a half.

Suddenly the bell rang and he looked up to see Guy ending his presentation. Wait, _only Guy?_

Asch looked over to the seat next to him and realized that Sync was glaringly absent from class all period and he just now noticed it. He got up and started for the door, wondering if maybe he'd overslept because Asch was usually the one who woke him up, or maybe something happened on the walk back and-

"Asch, have a second?"

Asch stopped and looked behind him to see Jade beckoning toward him.

"Yes, sir?" Asch asked respectfully, trying to hide the resentment in his voice.

"Drop the formalities, would you? They make me feel so old."

"Right, okay, Jade. What's wrong?"

"I didn't say anything was wrong, now did I? What I wanted to tell you is that even with a failing and incompetent student as a lab partner, you gave a better presentation than any of these other students. You've already proven yourself to be way above the curve, and if you keep up this attitude well, I might just see an internship in your future," He said fondly while organizing some papers. He wasn't even looking in Asch's direction, but he knew every reaction Asch made Jade saw.

"I don't mean to be rude, Jade, but it's the second day of class, and well, I'm only a freshman," Asch replied nervously.

"And if you believe that then that's all you'll be. Have a nice day!" Jade said as he sauntered out of the classroom.

He stood there in a mixture of anger and shock for a moment before regaining his composure and stumbling out of class. Tired wasn't even close to what he was feeling; he felt so weak that he might just be swept up in the winter breeze. He slowly made his way through the courtyard until someone bumped into him so hard that he fell back into the snow.

"Hey, what's your problem?!" Asch yelled out as he watched the figure stalk off with two or three others nearby. He could hear laughter, but no clear answer to his question so he pulled himself angrily up out of the snow. After brushing it all off he suddenly realized there was a slip of notebook paper next to his dent in the field of white.

Asch meticulously unfolded the paper and just before he could read it, someone came over his shoulder and said, "What's that, a love note?"

He jumped back fifty feet and saw a cheerful Guy waving at him.

"No, it just says 'south wing bathroom'. What kind of note is this?"

"Who gave you this?" Guy yelled as he snatched it out of his hand.

"Some guy bumped into me. What, am I going to get jumped in the bathroom?" Asch said sarcastically.

"No, but someone already has," Guy said as he narrowed his eyes and tore up the paper, "we don't have time, come on, hurry!"

Asch ran after Guy as he weaved through people crowding the halls until they reached the Medicinal Research Building. Guy stopped in front of the bathroom door and held his arm out so Asch couldn't pass by him.

"Tell me what the hell is going on!" Asch whispered fiercely.

"No voices, good," Guy said and headed in.

Asch felt his rage subside when he entered the bathroom. There was graffiti everywhere and it smelled horrible, but Asch couldn't even process anything except the bloody and bruised body collapsed against the back wall. Guy let out a gasp and Asch ran over until he was kneeling next to the body and yelling incoherent curses and questions until he gave up trying to talk and clutched Sync tightly.

"They got me before class, heh, bastards," Sync said weakly.

"I can heal you, just hold on," Asch said as he held his hands out.

"Asch, stop, you'll pass out again!" Guy yelled as he pulled him away from Sync.

"This happens every year to freshmen, especially your type because, well, I'm sure you guys are already used to the looks people give you. Anyway, they do it in this bathroom, but always on the first day. You want to know why they didn't do it on the first day this year?" Guy explained as he picked Sync up off the floor and began to carry him out. Asch didn't reply and solemnly looked over at Sync, who looked like a rag doll clutched in Guy's arms.

"The nurse wasn't in. But she's here today, and right down the hall," Guy continued as they exited the bathroom, "they would never mean to kill anyone, it's just a nasty joke."

He led them across the hall and into a crisp white room where a brunette immediately met them at the door.

"Bastards! I thought if I missed the first day then they wouldn't-" She regained her composure almost as quick as she lost it and called out for a bed to be readied for him.

"Sorry about that, I'm just so sick of these- no, nevermind. You two go on to class, he'll be fine now that he's here," She said bitterly and left them in front of the door.

"I have class in ten minutes, so would you mind," Guy sighed and handed Asch a small bag of medicines, "um, can you just go make sure that idiot hasn't done something stupid again and give him these?"

Asch took the bag from him and replied, "I can, sure. Thanks for saving Sync, because if I hadn't known-"

"Anyone would have done it; isn't that what you said to me about Luke?"

* * *

"I was really hoping you weren't coming back," a hoarse voice called out from under a pile of blankets.

"I had no idea, especially because you locked the door," Asch replied scornfully as he shut the door with his foot.

He walked over to the couch and said, "Here, for your throat."

Luke peeked his head out from his blanket and graciously accepted the hot cider Asch handed to him. Asch also gave him the bag Guy handed to him and quietly asked, "How are you?"

"I haven't thrown up in like, what, twenty minutes? That's pretty good, right?" Luke replied sarcastically.

Asch put his bag down and started rifling through it until he had a neat stack of papers. "These are for you," he said while holding them off in Luke's direction. He also threw over the bag of medicine Guy handed to him earlier.

"Are you kidding me? Did you get these from all of my teachers?" Luke said stunned as he flipped through them.

"Guy gave me your schedule so I picked up all your work. Get started so you won't fail all these assignments," He replied sternly.

"Don't you get it? I don't care if I fail or not," Luke said as he threw the papers aside.

"Fine, be that way. All I really need is a couple of hours of peace and quiet until Guy can make his way back over here, so shut up or go to sleep," Asch growled back as he pulled out his own work.

Luke let out a sigh of disgust and retreated back into his pile of blankets. It only took a couple of minutes for the boredom and nausea to return yet again, and he peeked out from the covers over at Asch. Bugging him was definitely more interesting than focusing on not throwing up.

Asch looked as if he was already lost in thought as he balanced the end of his pencil against his lips and stared intently at his notes. It was obvious he hadn't slept or showered in a while; his hair was a mess of crimson tangles and his face looked as if he'd rubbed dirt over the gaunt shadows around his eyes and cheekbones. Still, a strange aura of beauty hung about him, a sense of poise and elegance that was unmatched, even compared to the wealthiest kids he knew.

"Problem?" Asch asked, and Luke suddenly realized that Asch's vivid gaze was focused on him.

"It's just," Luke seemed lost in his eyes for a moment before continuing, "you look awful."

"Thanks," Asch replied and rolled his eyes. Just like that, his work absorbed him again, and he looked as if he'd forgotten Luke existed. Asch always seemed to have a glow around him which Luke barely noticed until now, but there was something about him, a haunting feeling that veiled his skin and bones. It left him feeling almost a bit jealous, but jealous of _what_?

He took one more curious look over at Asch before drifting off into a hazy sleep.

* * *

When Luke lazily reopened his eyes he quickly realized two things: it was dark outside, and his apartment smelled delicious. He quickly pulled himself up to find the source of the scent and noticed that Asch and Guy were gathered in the kitchen. After stretching out his sore muscles, he headed over to them.

"Why are you still here?" Luke mumbled, still disoriented from his nap.

"A blizzard set in while he was waiting for me to get here," Guy said nervously, "and he got stuck over here. He said he would've made something fancier if you actually kept some food in your fridge, Luke. You seriously need to start eating better, man."

Asch's hair was pulled up into a tight ponytail that seemed as forced as the concentrated look on his face while he stirred the pot in front of him. It seemed as if he'd made some sort of stew; all Luke knew was that it smelled delicious.

Out of nowhere Asch let go of the spoon and mumbled, "I think I need to go make a phone call. You two can eat."

He quietly exited before anyone could protest and Luke looked over at Guy for an explanation.

"They jumped Sync this year, and he's still at the clinic," Guy said dejectedly.

"What? No way, I thought they weren't planning on doing it this year!" Luke said excitedly as he helped himself to the stew.

"Me either, but worst of all," Guy paused and looked behind him to make sure the door was shut, "I talked to the upperclassmen who did it, you know the group, and they said they weren't even going for him. They waited outside the cottage where the scholarship kids bunk and said they were specifically going after 'the redhead'. But Asch was over here taking care of you, so I guess they just settled for Sync."

* * *

"Man, you're almost in a worse situation than I am!" Sync said over the phone. Asch put him on speaker so he could better understand what he was saying; the reception was horrible in the storm.

"Wait, Asch, did Ariett- no, did you tell Ren what happened?"

"Yeah, I called _him_. And you need to be more careful with your choice of words."

"I know, I know. Thanks. Ugh, it must be hard, having to see his face, you know. Him and his dad are a lot alike, and I don't know what I'd do if I-"

"Sync, what are you even talking about?"

"You didn't know, did you? Shit-"

"Tell me what's going on, Sync," Asch breathed into the phone.

"Asch I-" He replied although the connection was getting grainy.

"Just tell me!" Asch yelled back.

"Sync?" Asch said quietly when the only answer he received was a soft buzzing noise.

Asch looked down the dismal hall and almost considered leaving, or maybe even sleeping in the stairwell. With a depressed sigh, he looked back over at the door and noticed it was cracked, but he couldn't remember if he'd left open or not.


	4. Chapter 4

Asch quietly slipped right back in and locked the door behind him, since no one in this building seemed to even bother with it.

"I didn't know Sync had a _boyfriend_," Guy said casually from behind him.

He felt the color drain out of his face and slowly turned around to see Guy leaning over the kitchen island that separated the two spaces of the room. The sly look on his face meant he definitely eavesdropped on his conversation, which wouldn't have been a problem if Sync hadn't slipped up on Arietta's name. This academy was explicitly boys' only, meaning that if a girl had slipped through the cracks and been accepted, she would be in serious trouble if anyone found out.

"Yeah, they've been together for a while now," Asch said suspiciously.

Amidst all the tension, Luke sauntered back into the room and said, "Asch, maybe you should just be a cook instead of a chemist!"

Asch didn't answer, and Guy didn't even seem to acknowledge Luke at all. He seemed to become abruptly aware of the tense air in the room and asked, "What's wrong with you two?"

"Nothing," Guy quickly replied without taking his eyes off Asch, "Asch is just cranky because he hasn't gotten any sleep."

Asch stayed silent and headed back over to the couch, once again pulling out some assignment he was working on earlier.

"Whatever, not my problem." Luke sat down on the couch next to Asch and ripped the paper out of his hand and looked it over himself.

"Hey, can you teach me some of this?" He asked without noticing Asch's glare over at him for stealing his paper.

"I think I'm going to head home, alright, Luke? See you tomorrow," Guy said and left without another word.

A silence fell over the apartment that felt familiar but heavy all the same. _What if Guy was on his way now to report Arietta?_, Asch thought bitterly. He wondered if he should run after him, or just trust him enough to stay out of her business.

After a couple of minutes Luke threw aside the paper and said, "Eh, I'm bored already and you haven't even started talking. Here-" He turned on the TV perched on the wall and started flipping through the channels.

Asch snapped out of his daze and glanced over at Luke, who was being exceptionally friendly, well, for him anyway; apparently near-death experiences can change people, at least somewhat.

He was talking about whatever movie was playing on the screen and completely enveloped in the action within a few moments. Eventually, he complained about the lights, but when Asch didn't stir he got up to turned them off. Asch was so lost in thought that he couldn't decipher Luke's words, much less pay was obvious he hadn't heard his phone call, even though Guy had.

A serious headache clawed at the back of his skull, and he decided it was useless to try to mend the situation at this point. The hairband still tangled in his hair from cooking tugging at his scalp was definitely not helping, but when he tried to free his hair it only managed to entangle the strands further.

"Here, I got it," Luke said determinedly and started to yank at the band until it was loose. He ran his hand delicately through Asch's hair until it was somewhat manageable, but he abruptly realized what he was doing and drew his hand back quickly.

"Right, thanks," Asch said warily and retrieved the hairband back. Luke returned to his movie while Asch focused in on the paper he was still holding.

The movie ended a little later and Luke asked, "Asch, what'd you think about that ending? I was so confused through the whole thing that I got lost about halfway through, but I'm sure you-"

When he didn't get an answer he looked over to see that Asch was fast asleep, still with a notebook in his hands and his head draped daintily forward. Luke smirked and pulled the notebook out of his hands, then headed down the hall to retrieve a blanket from the closet. Asch was shivering in his sleep, but Luke didn't blame him; these apartments got so cold at night that you could almost see your own breath.

He loosely placed the blanket over Asch and wrapped himself up in one next to him. Luke took another glance at him and couldn't help but to notice the sadness that followed him even when he slept; it hung heavy in his clothes and was usually masked with anger when he was conscious, but his sadness had nowhere to hide in sleep. His hair cascaded down his back and puddled in tangled, crimson strands in front of his gaunt face.

Luke could've left and gone to sleep in his own bed, but he felt as if leaving Asch alone would be impolite in some peculiar sense. He decided to stay out here, at least for a little while, and flipped through the channels aimlessly. Yawning, he settled into the couch and slowly began to drift off until something abruptly brushed against his shoulder. Luke flinched out of his sleepy daze and realized Asch unconsciously shifted in his sleep and bumped into Luke.

And he didn't mind.

* * *

Asch woke up gloomy and still as tired as ever; but the fact that sunshine wasn't clouding his vision meant he still had a couple of hours to sleep. He felt warm, much warmer than when he fell asleep, and the unmistakable soft fabric wrapped around him gave a sense of security greater than his thin black t-shirt had. No, he was much warmer than just a blanket; it was the kind of warmth that only another person could give.

His eyes snapped open, and he jumped out of his own skin when he saw Luke's sleepy silhouette across from him. He tried to back away, but he'd fallen asleep sideways with his back against the couch and Luke facing him. There was no escape from the suffocating, velvet air, and Luke's face was only inches away, so close that Asch could feel Luke's heavy, warm exhales against his skin. Panic started to seep into his skin, not only from the situation he was in, but the fact that he couldn't even remember how it happened. He could've sworn he'd fallen asleep siting up, and on top of that Luke had gone off to his own bed. _Hadn't he?_ Nevertheless, They were tangled up in each other, with Luke's legs overlapping his own and his arm carelessly draped over Asch's hip.

The only thing he could focus on was trying to get out of this situation before Luke woke up. The dusk clouds abruptly exposed a streak of moonlight which illuminated the pair in a misty gleam. However, the serene glow enveloped his skin and begged him to drift back to sleep.

"Asch?" A sleepy voice asked.

"I don't- I mean, I didn't, I-" Asch could seem to force out a coherent sentence, and bit his lip in embarrassment. Every move he made just worsened the situation altogether, and he cursed under his breath as Luke smirked at him.

"What's so funny?" Asch muttered in discomfort as he avoided Luke's amused gaze.

Luke didn't reply to Asch's flustered protests and his hand slipped its way from Asch's hip and to the back of his head. An undeniable flush spread across his cheeks, and he was involuntarily pulled in toward the other. Luke moved his lips in closer to Asch's until his silent breath radiated from his skin. Asch stopped talking and looked back into Luke's alluring green eyes in complete confusion; his heartbeat fluttered as his conflicting emotions began to crash into each other.

"I've wanted this," Luke murmured while pulling Asch in closer, "ever since I first met you."

Luke leaned in and pressed his lips so softly against Asch's as if he expected immediate rejection. No matter how much Asch wanted to lie to himself and pull away, he knew that a part of him wanted this, too. The fights and animosity seemed to melt away in the moonlight, and so did his first impression of Luke, too. He kissed back with much more force than Luke had, almost as if it gave him the approval he needed. Luke ran his fingers through the mess of Asch's hair pulled him closer; it was as if he wanted to be as close as possible to Asch, close enough to feel his heartbeat against his own.

None of this made sense; there was no way Luke could change so quickly, no matter how traumatic of an event they'd been through. Had Luke acted like this only because he couldn't handle having feelings for someone?_ But then again, was he any different?_

When Luke finally pulled away, he murmured, "I've never seen you like this."

"Like what?" Asch said uneasily as he fought back the unavoidable rush of color that crept up the edges of his face.

"So," Luke stroked the side of his face tenderly, "vulnerable. You try so hard to look apathetic and bitter, but really-"

There was a knocking at the door and a familiar voice called out, "Luke? Asch? You guys awake? I know it's early, but-"

Asch extended his arms out, and Luke tumbled off the couch and landed down on the floor. He immediately sent a fierce glare in Asch's direction, but Asch ignored him held a finger over his mouth, insisting that he stay quiet.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

The door slipped open and Guy quietly looked around until he noticed Asch sitting alone on the couch.

"Oh, hey, Asch. Did I wake you up?" Guy asked.

"Not exactly," Asch said awkwardly.

There was a long pause of silence in the room until Guy finally decided say, "I'm not going to tell anyone, alright? It's not my business."

Asch let out a relieved sigh, but before he could answer, Luke popped out from the hall and asked, "Tell anyone what?"

"Nothing," Asch replied hastily, and then added, "how long until class starts, Guy?"

They both looked over at him oddly until Luke said, "There was a blizzard, duh, there isn't any class."

"What?" Asch asked in confusion.

"You see, all the teachers live in Keterburg, not on campus, and when an unexpected blizzard hits, the roads are impossible to navigate through to get back to the campus. Basically, everyone goes wild and does just about anything and everything. Probably a party too," Guy explained excitedly.

"Well, I guess I'm gonna take this chance to head home and catch up on some sleep," Asch said while stretching.

"W-wait! No, I mean, shouldn't you wait a little while, maybe wait until the sun comes up and then leave?" Luke said while trying to hide the disappointment in his voice.

"I'm assuming that when Guy says that everyone goes wild, it's basically open season on people like me, right? You don't have to say it, I know. It's better that I leave while it's still dark and get Sync home, too," Asch replied discreetly.

"That about sums it up," Guy said with a nervous laugh, and he watched Asch leave.

"Didn't even say bye," Luke muttered as he stared at the door.

* * *

It was a long and frigid walk home in the dark, but Asch didn't mind; the silence of the trees around him seemed to soothe his whizzing mind. To reach their little cottage, he had to follow an ice coated path back through the woods, which he wouldn't mind as much if there weren't so many monsters lurking within the forest. Apparently the advisors didn't care for the 5 individuals who had to make this trek back and forth each day;_ they said that we should just be grateful enough to be here._

He tried to stop by the nurse's office earlier but there was no sign of Sync, meaning he'd probably already found his way home. Their building was a lot more relaxed than the modernized apartments of the others; it was about the size of an inn, and furnished the same way with a shared kitchen and living room on the ground floor and stairs that led up to the bedrooms. There was an old rumor that it actually had been an old inn for lost travelers, but the owners disappeared one night and abandoned the building. The college decided to refurbish it, but everyone still assumed it was haunted.

After fumbling with the keys, he stepped inside the warm living space and let out a sigh of relief. It felt like it'd been forever since he'd been back in the house. After adding another piece of wood into the fireplace, he slowly headed up the stairs and turned on the lights, only to jump back at a short and angry figure in front of him.

"Ren?! What are you," he stopped and looked at her again, "why isn't your hair up? What if I had been a teacher coming in for a surprise inspection?"

She looked as if she'd been up all night waiting for him to get home; or maybe she was just waiting for Sync. In any case, her bright pink hair seemed dulled, which matched her sleepy but still angry expression. She was wrapped up in a blanket and blocked the pathway down the hall, meaning there was no way to avoid her wrath.

"You are so stuffy, Asch! There isn't even any class today and you're still lecturing me. Besides, you're the one who hasn't been home in days!" She yelled back.

"The blizzard left me stranded," He said wearily, but she still wouldn't let him pass by to get to his door.

"So where'd you sleep then, huh? Where _have_ you been sleeping recently?"

"My stupid lab partner's apartment- wait, is Sync here?" He asked.

"Oh, yeah, he got back an hour ago. He looks a lot better, which is good, but," She looked mournfully over at his door for a moment before continuing, "I'm worried about him."

"I'll keep a closer eye on him, alright?" Asch said in reassurance and took her moment of gloomy distraction to pass by her.

"I'm worried about you, too, idiot!" She yelled as he walked past her and shut the door.

* * *

By the next morning, Asch woke up feeling as if he'd almost recovered from the last couple of stressful days. Every morning, he periodically knocked on Sync's door, who fell asleep almost instantaneously after Asch woke him up. Rolling his eyes, he took a shower, combed through his tangled hair, and grabbed a cup of coffee from the shared kitchen. Grant always woke up earlier than everyone else and idly watched the tv in the living area across from the kitchen, not bothering to get ready until the last second. The only contribution he made was the coffee that constantly brewed each morning, something Asch considered a blessing but never got around to thanking him.

"Grant, why do you bother getting up so early if you aren't going to do anything worthwhile?" Asch mumbled as he clumsily poured a cup of coffee.

"Why do you bother calling me Grant when no one is around?"

"Fine, _Legretta_, why are you up so early when your class is hours away?" Asch said with an annoyed tone.

She looked over the couch with a bored expression, rolled her eyes, and then returned to the TV. Asch sighed and then headed back up the stairs, giving one last knock on Sync's door and saying goodbye.

Asch was barely out the door until a disheveled Sync was chasing after him through the thick woods. He started talking about some fight with Arietta, but Asch was lost in thought about his own issues.

Speaking technically, he'd never done anything with anyone until Luke, in fact, he had always considered himself straight. But then again, people never really interested him; they usually just annoyed him to the point where he brushed them off, and they eventually left him alone.

Even Sync bothered him most of the time, but they'd grown too close for either of them to really hate each other. Luke was almost his worst nightmare when it came to types of people, and it would never work out in the first place. This was all just one big, mistake and he would just forget all about it. _Wait, didn't Sync have something to tell him about earlier?_

"Asch? Are you ignoring me?" Sync's voice stopped Asch's crashing train of thought.

"What? No, actually, I was wondering what you weren't going to tell me last night," Asch said.

Sync's face soured in regret and he finally answered, "Don't worry about it okay?"

"Tell me," Asch growled back as he pulled Sync's shoulder to force him to stop.

"It's going to ruin everything, Asch. You and Luke don't even get along well in the first place and-"

"What does this have to do with Luke?" Asch asked in surprise.

"Fine, okay, you know what, fine! Luke is the Duke's son! Duke Fabre! How could you have not already known, you idiot!?" Sync yelled back.

"Duke Fabre," Asch repeated slowly, as if he couldn't comprehend what Sync was saying. There was a long period of silence until Sync instantly felt guilt overtake him.

"Asch, I'm sorry, I just thought you already knew," Sync replied dejectedly as he watched Asch seem to go blank.

"Duke Fabre, the man who murdered," Asch couldn't seem to force out the rest of his sentence, "who murdered my family."

He hadn't made the connection and it was almost incredible that he'd forgotten; it was a part of his past he'd put behind. Sync was probably one of the few people who knew his past, and Asch only spoke of it back when he was little. In fact, he'd spent most of his childhood angry and focused on revenge on the man, but as he grew older he realized he was just another charity case; plenty of others lives' had been ruined by the same family. Asch had suppressed the memories to the point where he'd almost convinced himself it didn't happen, but Sync's words pulled him right back into reality. He felt his stomach drop and skin go numb, but tried to hold it together in front of Sync.

"We're going to be late," Asch said stoically and started quickening his pace so that Sync wouldn't be able to walk near him.

"Asch, please don't be like this! I'm sorry! And don't do anything stupid to Luke!"

Sync's words were meaningless; Asch was already out of earshot. All he knew was that he wanted nothing to do with Luke.


	5. Chapter 5

"Alright, alright, take your seats. This is a professional lab we're doing today, so try not to act like wild animals for the next two hours," Jade said enthusiastically as he handed out a procedure sheet.

"Asch, why are you ignoring me?" Luke whispered quietly. He'd tried to make conversation at least three times already, but Asch hadn't replied, much less made eye contact the entire time.

"Venomous Fang, as I'm sure you all know, is a highly toxic compound that was first created two hundred years ago. It was so poisonous that it was considered a death sentence if anyone were to ingest it, however, after the discovery of the Seventh Fonon, it is curable. That being said, you still don't want spill any on your skin unless you're looking for some cool scars to show off to your friends. You have two hours to recreate this formula."

Asch looked over the sheet for a couple of minutes before setting it aside and pulling out a number of objects from the drawer beneath their station. Then, he tied up his hair, put on some goggles, rolled up his sleeves, and stalked off to the closet to get the chemicals they needed. Luke looked around helplessly; he barely understood a word on the sheet, and Asch was obviously in no mood to explain it. He followed the same procedure as Asch and made sure his hair was securely up; last year, he leaned over Guy's burner and singed the ends off.

"I have to help, you know, or else we'll fail," Luke said quietly as he watched Asch methodically drip small amounts of a foul-smelling acid into a large beaker of water.

Asch winced and then, without looking, held out his left hand and muttered, "Hand me the ammonium solution."

Luke took this small success and scanned all the labels but couldn't seem to find the correct one. All of the containers were labeled with chemical formulas instead of actual names. "The blue one, Luke."

Asch started directing Luke by colors instead of formulas after he almost ruined the project altogether by handing him the wrong bottle. Eventually he ordered him to go put all the bottles away, obviously trying to micromanage him while still _technically_ including him. When Luke came back, Asch had already lit the burner and the mixture was stewing on top of the flame.

"So, are you going to tell me why you're mad? Is it because of yesterday, because-"

Asch looked over at Luke out of the corner of his eye and sharply replied, "Shut up, and leave me alone."

His severe tone startled Luke, and even worse, the look in his eyes meant that he was serious. Since he wasn't going to get a verbal answers from him, Luke scanned Asch from head to toe. Something was definitely off today, in fact, his hands shook, he almost looked as if he was about to throw up, and a ghastly pale color painted his face. A mask of bitterness and sadness clouded his disposition, the same expression Luke noticed when he was asleep. He was staring off into space with a tense expression and hadn't moved for minutes; _was he sick or something?_

"Asch, everyone else already turned his or her burner off. Are you sure we should leave it on this long?" Luke asked nervously.

Jade was slowly walking around to check everyone's mixture with pursed lips and dissatisfactory glances. Asch was staring up at the clock and watched the hand go by until he abruptly muttered, "You can take it off now."

Luke shrunk under his melancholy tone but still grabbed some tongs to pull the mixture off. Just as he was lowering the beaker down, his grip slipped for a few seconds. He splashed a small amount of the mixture out of the beaker, but managed to save it before it shattered on the tabletop.

After carefully placing it down, he said, "Hah, that was almost bad, wasn't it? Oh well, at least I didn't-"

He looked over at Asch and realized that he was running his wrist and forearm underneath the sink at their station while biting back expletives.

"Did I just-" Luke gasped in horror as he saw how red and blistered Asch's skin already looked. Asch shut off the water and pulled his sleeves down so that no one could see the burn.

"It's fine," Asch muttered out, but his voice cracked a little as he fought back the pain.

"It is not fine! You need to go straight to the nurse!" Luke snapped back, but Asch only pushed him over to add one extra drop of a yellow chemical.

"Asch, I swear, if you don't-"

"Ah, boys! Getting along better than ever, I see," Jade remarked as he showed up at their table. Luke looked up nervously and watched as he inspected the mixture on the ceramic cooling plate.

"Letting it almost solidify, what an interesting technique. In fact, this is the only opaque version anyone's made, which means it's actually poisonous and not just watered down chemicals like the rest," Jade speculated. It was almost as if he had a little excitement in his voice, or rather he just sounded less bored.

"Yeah, it's actually the most deadly when it's in a solid form, but it's worthless in that state. So we attempted to get it as close as possible without burning it," Asch replied hastily.

Suddenly the bell rang and Asch hurried out of class before Luke could chase after him. He spent the rest of the day worried and nauseous, and on top of that he had to suffer through fonic artes classes using his wounded arm. Physics was easy; he just wrote with his other hand, but the fonons that rushed through his body when he casted left his arm in searing pain. It was about six once he was finally out of his last class, and most of the students had already headed home.

He sat down on an empty bench and finally pulled down his sleeve to inspect the damage. The skin was still irritated and a deep red, but what worried him the most was the green hue his veins had taken. Instead of the normal blue veins that usually lined his wrist and palm, there were toxic green streaks that seemed to corrupt the skin all around them. _They really should have better safety precautions when mixing deadly chemicals_, he thought, but then decided Jade probably didn't care either way.

The problem with this type of poison was that it wasn't exterior like the regular version; if it was, most of his outer skin would be poisoned instead of the burn mark that wrapped around his wrist. He decided to find a common herb that would cure the burn at least, then he could make it home and heal the rest himself. He almost wanted to heal it on the spot, but careless usage of the a fonon he didn't understand wasn't a mistake he wanted to repeat. _Arietta would probably end up doing it, anyway,_ he thought and stood up.

After he trekked a little ways toward the mountain range, he easily found the plant he was looking for and carefully stuck the leaves in his bag. It was already twilight by the time he was back on campus, however, there were still some students around. He brushed it off when he realized it was Friday; they were all heading to a party somewhere.

A few of the streetlights around the campus began to flicker on, but he usually followed the darker, lesser-known alleys behind the buildings to avoid the other students. As he continued home everything was beginning to blur, and he was stumbling a bit. To the common passerby he probably just looked like another tipsy party-goer, but the poison was definitely spreading a lot quicker than earlier.

He heard a shuffle from behind him but couldn't tell if he was just hallucinating, or if someone else was trying to avoid the main walkways along with him. There was a noise in front of him, no, _behind him_? He stopped dead in his tracks and looked all around him, but couldn't find a trace of anyone nearby. It was dark behind the buildings, with only a little light filtering in from the faraway streetlights, leaving plenty of shadows for someone to hide._ Paranoia was just a symptom, right, you're worried over nothing, _he reminded himself and continued walking.

Out of nowhere, A blow from behind sent him crashing down to the pavement, and as he tried to pull himself back up a boot jabbed him in the stomach. His vision was just a bunch of blurred shapes now, and the dingy yellow light from the street lamp was far away, unable to protect him with its watered-down glare. There were figures, maybe two or three, looming over him, and he thought they were talking, but he couldn't be sure. A sharp ringing was resonating in his ears and every noise he heard was muffled and distorted. Someone was still mercilessly assaulting him in an uncoordinated flurry of kicks and punches, and the pain began to shove him face to face with a sea of black unconsciousness.

A smash to the back of his head snapped him back into focus, and a sharp voice called off whoever was responsible. Someone pulled him off the ground and forced him against the brick wall while he held the collar of his shirt tight. They were yelling something, but Asch lost focus again and felt himself on the verge of collapsing right there. He pushed out his arms as hard as possible, hoping in a pitiful attempt to throw them off, but the attacker just grabbed his arms instead and pinned him to the wall.

Asch hissed in pain as nails dug their way through his poisoned arm and slid back down the wall on the icy pavement. Whoever it was let go of him, only to pull his sleeve up and then a soft murmuring continued between the group.

The hiatus didn't last long, however, and the same person grabbed his wrist again, this time with much more force, and sunk his nails back in until he was drawing blood. Asch couldn't tell if he was screaming or not; the air around him absorbed all sound and felt thick and toxic, almost as if he were drowning in mud and miasma. Someone was inches away from Asch's face, yelling something savagely, but he shut his eyes against the piercing, icy glare of the face in front of him.

When he slowly reopened his eyes, everyone was gone. It was almost like no one was there in the first place, but there had to be some explanation as to why he was bruised and bloody and battered in the empty alleyway. _Did he pass out, or did something scare them off?_

The moon was directly above him, casting a frigid glow that stained his skin and broadcasted the red streaks smeared across his clothes. His skin was covered in frost and he felt the numbness of the cold and the sharp pain coincide beneath his skin. Endeavoring to get up, he braced himself against the wall, only to slide back down in a coughing fit.

_Blood_, he thought as he pulled his hand away from his mouth. He looked around and realized he wasn't the othy thing covered in blood; crimson and obsidian hues tainted all the fresh snow around him and left a metallic smell in the air.

Voices filled his ears again, but they sounded distant and muffled. _Were they coming back?_, he thought and desperately attempted to get up again. He fell back down with a loud thud and winced in pain. As the voices got louder, he decided a new tactic; maybe if he played dead they'd leave him alone.

The voices were loud but not menacing like before; someone had their hand on the side of his face and sounded frantic. He opened his dimming green eyes and saw that someone was vigorously shaking him and yelling, but Asch gave up on trying to stay conscious.

* * *

"This is all my fault, Guy! All my fault! I mean, I didn't mean to spill it on him, but-"

"Why didn't you force him to go to the nurse? Or tell anyone for that matter! No, no, it's fine, it's not your fault Luke, don't get upset. It's the bastards who-"

Asch slowly opened his eyes and realized he was in Luke's apartment. He looked around dumbfounded;_ how did he end up here? _Before he could ask what was going on, he started violently coughing and wiped the blood off his lips.

"Asch, you're awake!" Luke yelled as he ran over to him.

"What," Asch looked down and saw that he was soaked to the bone and covered in blood and dirt. The rest of his sentence seemed unnecessary as his memory returned along with the pain.

"Asch, what the hell? Do you want to explain what you were doing in the middle of the damn night in some alleyway? Or why you have a deadly poison that's been in your system all day long? Have you never heard of a nurse? Or a damn cell phone? Do you even have an excuse? What happened to you?"

Guy was yelling so loud that it left a ringing in his ears. He looked up at Guy, and then over at Luke, and hoarsely said, "How'd you find me?"

"We were walking back from that party across campus and there was a cell phone ringing from a dark alley, followed by a lot of strange noises. Luke's afraid of ghosts so, of course, I had made him check it out."

"I am not!" He yelled back defiantly.

"Instead we found what might as well have been a dead body! Now answer my questions," Guy said, although he sounded more worried than angry at this point.

Asch didn't answer, but when he pulled out his phone he realized that Sync called him. He looked up the one voicemail and held the phone up to his ear. It started off as muffled conversation until he could hear Sync's voice loud and clear.

"Hey, Asch, what the hell? Where are you? Pick up the phone you-" It sounded as if someone else grabbed the phone, and then a shrill female voice said, "Asch, I'm going to kick your stupid ass when you get home!" There was a long pause, and then she added, "So, come home, okay?" The phone clicked off, and he realized that Guy was still waiting on an answer.

Shaking his head, he slowly sat up and braced himself against the stabbing discomfort in his chest.

"I'm going home," Asch said slowly.

Luke looked at him in disbelief and then shouted, "Have you even taken a look at yourself? Do you even realize-"

He knew this looked bad, he could tell by the difficulty he had breathing that this was a lot worse than just getting jumped in an alley. The room was tipping from left to right like a ship sailing over rough waves, and he was getting motion sickness just by keeping his eyes open. Asch diverted his gaze to his arm and saw the sharp, bloody stains from the nails, and green veins that ran beneath his skin from his wrist all the way up his arm.

He looked warily over at Guy, and then held his other hand over it.

"Asch, no!" Guy yelled, but it was too late. A bright flash of white enveloped the room, and died down a second later.

Luke walked over to inspect his arm and realized that he healed almost entirely, except for three or four scars slashed down near his wrist. He looked back over at Guy and murmured, "At least I'm not the idiot this time. Guy, you can go, I'll take care of him. All of the poison is gone."

"Of all the stupid things to do! He might be smart, but acts about as rash and immature as you do, Luke. No, you know what, he's just a stubborn idiot. Call me if anything goes wrong," He responded and slammed the door behind him.

Just seconds later, the door swung wide open and Guy thrown to the floor, while a triumphant Sync stood over him. The rage in his eyes intensified when he saw Asch unconscious on the couch and yelled, "What do you bastards think you're doing?!"

"I know this looks bad Sync, but you've got it all wrong! Just listen for one second!" Guy yelled as he picked himself off the ground and backed away as Sync stormed past him.

"I knew I'd find him here! You two think it's funny to do this to someone just because they aren't as well off as you? What the hell is everyone's problem in this school?" Sync ranted as he pushed Luke away from Asch.

Amidst all the yelling, he put both of his hands on Asch's face and quietly asked, "Asch?"

"Quit yelling," he mumbled back as he loosely pushed Sync away from him.

"Asch, you're soaking wet; even your hair is dripping! There's blood all over you, and you're bruised everywhere, and the only thing you have to say is 'quit yelling'?" He glared back over at Luke and Guy and continued, "did you leave him out in the snow all night?"

"No, you idiot! We found him in some alley and took him back here!" Guy replied frantically.

He looked back at Asch, then at them again. Both Luke and Guy looked just as worried as he felt; Sync lost his anger and replied, "I guess I'm going to have to believe you. Sorry."

There was no hint of remorse in his voice at all, but Guy and Luke didn't try to argue. Sync looked back over at Asch, who was trying to sit upright and keep his composure by masking the pain with a dismal frown.

"He's in no shape to get back home. I hate to ask, but," Sync said, although the words burnt his throat and even uttering them left a bad taste in his mouth.

"It's fine, Sync," Luke replied.

"I guess I'll head home alone, then."

"It's not safe, Sync, even for you! Don't you have to go through the woods to get back to your room?" Guy replied.

Sync reached down in his button down shirt and pulled out a necklace, formerly hidden by the collar, with a wooden star charm on it. There was a swirling pattern of white carved into it and it hung loosely on a thin silver chain.

"Asch made me this a while back. It looks like an ordinary charm, but it's actually a talisman that wards off monsters. I'm not really sure how he did it, something about infusing holy water or something like that. Anyway, I'll be fine. Make sure nothing happens to him."

Sync left as abruptly as he arrived, and Guy nodded in reassurance at Luke before leaving, too.

Luke retrieved two blankets and handed one around Asch, who was shivering profusely.

"Don't want it, dreck," He replied when Luke tried to give it to him.

"Now you're just being stupid. At least tell me why you're mad!" Luke said angrily as he forcefully wrapped the blanket around him.

There was a long silence that followed as Luke sat next to him on the couch until Asch finally muttered out, "Fabre."

"Yeah, that's my family name. What's wrong with that?" He replied crossly.

"Your father, he," Asch was tripping over his words and couldn't seem to force them out between chattering teeth.

"Don't tell me," Luke seemed as if he understood something for once, "you're one of the survivors, aren't you? Of Hod?"

"I don't know if I'm from Hod, or anywhere at all. My earliest memory is watching my parents being slaughtered, and then," he stopped for a second to cough, "I saw the Duke, looking at me with such contempt, as if I wasn't even worth killing, or even existing. I swore revenge back then, but now I realize how immature a goal that was. Looking at you just-"

Luke cut him off and said, "I'm not here because I want to be, Asch. The thing is, my mother had an affair, and technically I'm not even his son. He even tried to disown me, but he didn't want there to be a huge scandal and have to deal with all the paperwork I wasn't even worth the time to do paperwork, and of course my mother had no say. Anyway, once that got out, they shipped me off here to disappear; they never plan on seeing me ever again, or even hearing from me. My life collapsed within seconds, and when I arrived I had nothing left to live for, and like hell they were going to force me to do schoolwork. And the other day, I got a call from my childhood friend, Natalia, and she absolutely hates me now. We were even engaged, but now that's completely wrecked, and I don't know what my parents told her, but she yelled and screamed and told me that she wanted me dead. And then-"

"And then I pulled the trigger. That was what happened the other day, wasn't it, it's the reason?," Asch finished quietly.

A silence filled the apartment as they both faced their own guilt. Finally, Asch said quietly, "I'm going to sleep."

"Asch I," Luke stopped and swallowed hard, "I'm sorry about what happened to you. And I'm sorry about being such a useless idiot, and I'm sorry for almost killing you with that poison, and I'm really sorry about-"

"How about we both stop using the word 'sorry'?" Asch said while trying to keep the annoyance out of his voice.

"Right, I probably sound like a complete idiot now," Luke replied quietly. He slowly got up from the couch and headed over to the hall.

"Wait, Asch, do you think," Luke stopped in the middle of the entrance way, "I mean, can I sleep out here?"

Asch looked over at him and smirked before replying, "Don't you always end up out here anyway?"

Luke gave a bright smile before excitedly jumping back on the couch, causing Asch to curse out in pain. He stole some of Asch's blanket and tucked himself in while wrapping both his arms around Asch and pulling him in tighter.

"Ouch, be careful!" Asch hissed out as Luke tried to get more comfortable.

"You're freezing, Asch! And besides, I'm not supposed to say sorry, remember?" Luke replied.

Asch rolled his eyes but decided it wasn't worth arguing over this point. He closed his eyes and tried to force out all the anxiety in his head, which was an impossible goal. Who attacked him in the first place? This was a lot different from Sync's case; he was convinced they wanted him dead. How was he going to show up at class with bruises all over his face; no doubt everyone was in on it. Or maybe they weren't, it did seem lie a personal grudge. They must have stalked him for a while too, maybe even all day.

He sighed and realized he probably wasn't going to get any sleep. He couldn't stop thinking, much less breathe, and on top of that he knew that he'd face Sync and Arietta's wrath tomorrow. Amidst all his pessimism, a warm presence hovered over him, followed by a soft kiss on his forehead. He opened his eyes in surprise and saw Luke pretending to sleep as he tucked his head into Asch's shoulder, but still with a tiny smile across his lips.

"Idiot," Asch murmured, and drifted off into an uneasy but comfortable sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

It was the next morning and Asch had one plan: keep his head low and stay out of sight. Instead of pushing his bangs back, they fell daintily upon of his face, which created a crimson veil to shadow some of the damage from last night. He mirrored Luke a lot more with this hairstyle, although bed-head was Luke's personal style in the first place, in fact, he didn't even brush his hair. No matter how much he tried to hide it, there was one inevitable conclusion;_ he looked awful_. This part was easy, but dealing with other students, or even Sync, was a different case. Pain was a lesser evil than people.

The looks on people's faces were even more exaggerated than he would've ever expected. Most people avoided him at all cost as he navigated through the hallway, and he could feel empathy and fear radiating from the walls. Someone outright asked what happened, but Asch just brushed them off and continued walking. What was odd was that everyone looked surprised, instead of the snickers Sync received; _this was a personal attack, not planned_. Bracing himself for the wrath of first period, he came as early as possible and slipped into his seat as painlessly as possible.

It didn't take long until the classroom began to fill up, however, Asch knew already that Sync would be late because there was no alarm this morning. He watched the clock placed above the door tick by and just before the minute hand reached eight, Sync came racing into class in such a flurry that he barely acknowledged Asch.

Without looking up as he rummaged through his backpack, he fiercely whispered, "Care to explain this time?"

Asch didn't respond and let all his hair fall to the side facing Sync, masking his face in that direction. Jade was already lecturing, leaving the perfect excuse for Asch's vow of silence; he never talked during class.

"You look like a train wreck," Sync hissed while he furiously scribbled down what Asch had already outlined on his own paper.

Sync was right on this one. His eye was surrounded with black and purple hues and so was the left side of his face. He had deep cuts, although most of them were hidden, climbing out of his clothes. He was pretty sure he broke a rib, but everything was so sore and painful that he might as well have broken his entire body. The cold weather gave him an excuse to hide as much of the damage beneath layers of clothing, but his face was exposed no matter how low his hair fell.

"Not my fault," Asch mumbled back.

"Not going to go to the nurse?"

"Don't need to," Asch replied stubbornly.

"Going to tell me what's going on? Oh, I just can't wait to hear the excuse this time! You know what Asch, I don't even think you're going to make it out of this semester alive. Especially if you keep lying to me," He replied crossly. Asch couldn't tell if Sync's paper was going to rip or not from the amount of pressure he was putting on his pen, and the only response he could muster was a deep sigh.

The truth didn't even make sense to Asch; was there someone trying to kill him, or was this just a special occasion? Sync's delicate feelings went on the back burner compared to his other problems.

A long, silent class period went by, and Sync was out the door even before the bell rang. Asch anxiously waited for the lesson to actually end before heading after him. The halls were empty when he slid out the door, but he noticed an undeniable wave of green as it rounded the hallway.

He chased after the color and when he came to the intersection between the two halls, he found Sync talking to someone unfamiliar. Asch touched his shoulder lightly, which caused the green haired student to turn around in surprise. It only took seconds until Asch realized he had the wrong person; this student had the same eyes and hair color as Sync, but there were slight differences he recognized immediately. This student was a little taller than Asch where as Sync was shorter, and the unmistakable length of his hair, which had been all pushed forward when he first tapped his shoulder. It was much longer and tamed smoothly, unlike Sync's hair. He'd been staring at the student for a while now and snapped out of his daze. The student didn't seem angry at all for Asch's sudden intrusion, and merely replied with a look of confusion covering his face.

"I thought you were," Asch gave him another double-take, "someone else."

"Who, might I ask?" The student said just as Asch turned to leave.

"My friend," Asch said, but then realized the boy was looking for a name, "Sync. Don't worry about it."

The student looked at Asch oddly again; he had a curious glance that inspected everything about him without making a single biased judgment, or at least not one Asch could see within his eyes. Suddenly he realized this student was probably appalled at the state of Asch.

"Wait!" The student said, beckoning Asch to turn back around once again.

He held out his hand and said, "I'm Ion. It was nice to meet you."

Asch looked around apprehensively before lightly shaking hands and parting their separate ways.

_Does Sync have a nice twin? Something was peculiar about that kid,_ he thought absent-mindedly as he dialed his phone.

After a couple of rings, a voice suddenly picked up and sneered, "I pick up the phone even if I'm angry, unlike some people. Where are you?"

"Where am I?" Asch stopped for a second; he was the one looking for Sync, not vice-versa.

"We had plans, remember? A lab due, we're all going over to Guy's apartment? I left early because it's a long walk and it gets dark quickly this time of year, you should know that! Asch, I don't think you should walk alone, either, so head home or straight over here."

"Right, on my way," Asch replied and hung up without a goodbye. He definitely did not remember that he made plans.

* * *

"Ah yes, the princess has finally arrived!" Guy said cheerily as Asch stepped in.

"I thought we all agreed on not calling me that," Asch muttered as he sat down in an empty chair.

Guy's apartment was a lot more furnished and cozier; it actually looked lived in compared to Luke's empty "minimalistic" room. He had posters hanging off the walls and his own furniture, all warm shades of browns, oranges, and golds. He seemed to be really into music due to the posters, but Asch hadn't ever seen him ever listening to any. Asch also noticed there were tools everywhere, along with little machines or gears sprawled out on the coffee table.

"So, the real reason we're all gathered here is to sneak into the haunted basement of the fonitech building!" Guy proclaimed as he held out a ring of jingling keys. Sync started cheering, but Luke was only giving a nervous smile._ Wait, was Asch the only one who didn't know?_

"We did not make plans in the first place, did we?" Asch mumbled as he realized Sync took advantage of Asch's stress induced lapse of judgement.

"But the report," Asch started, but the entire group shook their heads as he suggested they _actually_ work.

"Asch, don't take all the fun out of this," Luke groaned. Sync nodded in agreement, while Guy just shook his head at how predictable Asch was.

"We don't even have chemistry tomorrow! We have all day to do that stupid paper," Guy continued as he snatched the binder out of Asch's hands and whisked him out of his seat.

"Fine, fine, we'll go run around the stupid basement," Asch grumbled.

"I'm not mad anymore, either, Asch. These two told me what was going on, and it's hard to be mad when you look like hell," Sync joked.

"Yeah, thanks a lot Sync," Asch replied sarcastically. He suddenly remembered Ion, but before Asch could ask, Guy linked arms with Sync and unwillingly dragged him out of the room.

* * *

"You see, I work on the ground floor all the time, and they just so happened to leave the old keys on here too," Guy explained as he unlocked a small door in the back of the building. The door was rusty and creaked as it opened, groaning like a ghost with a gaping black mouth.

"You work?" Asch asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Not for money," He replied with a wink.

They all equipped themselves with flashlights and cell phones, but even when Guy switched on his light, it barely illuminated the old stairwell. He grinned at Luke before diving straight into the black entrance, and the three left standing outside all looked around at each other expectantly. Asch shrugged and took his turn down the spiraling stairs, meeting Guy at the bottom.

They heard the metal stairs rattle and a shaky Luke soon followed after while Sync laughed as he stepped slowly behind him.

"Something wrong?" Asch asked while smirking.

Luke looked defiantly over at Guy and him before answering, "Nothing's wrong!"

"Good, now, watch your step, it's a mess of wires and old equipment down here. This basement runs beneath the entire school, believe it or not." Guy continued on a whole tour guide speech, but only Sync seemed interested. The walked through the darkness for a couple of minutes, with only Guy's voice for entertainment. Asch noticed that it was uncommonly warm down here, although it might just have to due with the lack of wind, and he stopped to take off his jacket.

While stopped, he realized that they were missing a member; Luke fell desperately behind the group, and Asch could faintly see his flashlight a ways back. He looked over at the pair in front of him and then back at the light. After he cursed and rolled his eyes, he began backtracking towards Luke's light.

When he finally reached the source, muffled by a tall pile of old junk, he said in an annoyed tone, "Luke, come on, hurry up."

After not receiving an answer, he rolled his eyes once again and walked over to the source. However, when he looked over the corner, there was no light, and no Luke. It was an empty dark space filled with shelves of junk, only outlined by his own flashlight.

_My flashlight must have reflected off something in here_, he thought unconvincingly.

At this point, he was alone in Yulia knows where within this basement, so far off that he couldn't even see the flashlights of the others. The first instinct he had was to call someone, but that would be admitting defeat; Sync knew his weakness that hid among this dusty basement. He'd never hear the end of it if they picked up the phone to his shaky and empty voice, and his secret would be out; _Asch was bitterly and terribly afraid of ghosts._

_How could I have gotten lost so quickly?,_ Asch thought as he eyed the darkness around him nervously.

Sync loved to torment him as a kid with horrible stories about ghouls and ghosts that left him angrily yelling at one moment and hiding beneath the sheets all night the next. He couldn't help it, to be honest; the thought that people left traces of their fonons around and never found peace seemed only fitting for the atrocities that happened to them. And this basement couldn't be more of a fitting setting.

He kept the fear well hidden and managed to keep a straight face as he got older, but the panic and paranoia whirled around inside of him and manifested itself especially when he was alone. After a few moments, he picked up the pace in the direction he assumed he came from and barely avoided all the obstacles in his clumsy endeavor. There was a loud thud that sounded uncomfortably close, and Asch jumped out of his skin while flashing his light in every direction possible.

_Just a rat, or a monster, or something settling; remember, ghosts don't exist_, he repeated in his head, but didn't believe a word of it.

If he headed back in the direction he'd come from then he'd eventually catch up with the others, he had to. Luke must have been somewhere around the two and he hadn't noticed. When he began to walk once again, there was a noise that mimicked a whisper or a snippet of a radio frequency and he felt his skin crawl in fear. It sounded as if it were right behind him, but he was too stubborn to just turn around and check; _what if something actually was there?_

The noise grew louder until it was an audible voice, deep and harsh like nails scraping on a chalkboard. The air around him grew colder, so cold that his own breaths were visible, and they puffed out in icy smoke rings. Goosebumps lined his pale skin, but the thought of putting his jacket meant stopping or slowing down, which was not happening. Heaps of junk seemed to rattle and fall from his peripheral vision, and he finally gave in and whirled around in a cold-sweat. Everything stopped the second he looked behind him, the noises and movement, and he was left shaking and terrified.

With the absence of the noises, he tried to continue forward like normal, but he felt so uneasy with the silence that it now became worse than the noise. It felt as if someone was watching him, with their black gaze fixed on the back of his skull in fury. He was having trouble breathing at this point as the panic set in, and his breaths only escaped in hyperventilated gasps. _A panic attack over nothing, absolutely nothing_, he thought miserably as he tried to calm down.

And then his flashlight went out.

The darkness settled in where his light had once illuminated and he stood there for a second, unsure if he would ever take another step forward until he became a ghost himself. There was a break in the silence, a small disquieting shuffle near him, and Asch squinted into the dusty shadows where he hoped to find an answer. All he needed was a plausible explanation, any fact to grip on so that he could stay sane in the blackness. A jolt to the back of his shoulders sent him flying forward until he tripped onto the concrete and cursed loudly in fright.

"Boo!" A voice called out, followed by laughter.

"Not funny, Luke," Asch said in a shaken but still angry tone. Fear was an emotion he pretended not to have, and denial was his only cure for his groundless phobia.

Luke helped him up and jeered, "Afraid of ghosts, huh?"

"I'm not the one who was crying on his way down the stairs!" Asch yelled back while wiping dirt off his pants.

"So you don't deny it? Well, it's not the ghosts I'm afraid of. I'm not stupid enough to believe in that," Luke said while giving an amused look in Asch's direction.

"Then what was your problem?" He asked angrily.

After a long time, Luke quietly admitted, "The dark."

"The dark," Asch repeated, as if he needed clarity.

"Yeah, what about it? _I'm_ not the one running around terrified of imaginary specters. My fear is real," Luke replied defiantly. Asch seemed to accept this truce of mutual fears and put aside his anger.

"Wow, good for you. Whatever, doest that mean you were the one banging on stuff and making the noises earlier?" Asch said as they started walking.

"No, probably just your wild imagination," Luke said while grinning.

"It was not!"

Suddenly there was a tap on his shoulder and he jumped and turned around quickly, only to hear Luke laughing in response. Asch groaned at the fact that he really fell for that, and that Luke was stupid enough to do it in the first place.

"Are you really that scared? Come on, Asch," Luke said.

Asch was acutely annoyed at the fact Luke having so much fun with this, and he definitely didn't forget grudges; no one got away with scaring him without paying for it. With a sly movement he grabbed the flashlight Luke loosely gripped in his right hand and hid it behind his back. With one click, the light shut off and Asch stepped into the darkness.

"Hey, give it back!" Luke yelled and reached out to grab Asch. He managed to catch him by the back of his shirt and yanked him back over and into a stack of boxes, but Asch ducked and escaped once again.

"No," Asch replied contently as Luke got more upset. They continued in a push and pull argument, getting more and more lost within the basement. Luke kept grabbing for it blindly, but Asch easily managed to avoid each swipe until he backed into against a heap of old computers.

"I'm not kidding! Give it back!" Luke yelled again, but with more fear than anger.

He cornered him and got close to his face before bargaining with him once again for the flashlight. He didn't even care if he got it back at this point, he just wanted the light smirked at how desperate he got, although he didn't know where he'd be if Luke hadn't shown up when he did._ Maybe he should just give it back._

While contemplating the future owner of the flashlight, he realized that Luke had successfully trapped him and was so close that he could see the outlines of his face within the murky shadows. Before Luke could argue with him once again, Asch leaned in and kissed him, forcing Luke's voice to a stuttering halt. He slowly placed the flashlight in Luke's hand and pulled his face away.

"Here," he murmured.

Luke didn't seem to notice the flashlight, and it slipped carelessly to the ground in a loud clatter. Instead, he put both of his hands on either side of the boxes above to Asch's shoulders and leaned in for another kiss. Luke took control of Asch within seconds and kept getting in closer and closer until there wasn't any space left between the two. He didn't even want to free him from his grasp to bother with the light. They kissed softly at first, as if trying to remember where they'd left off yesterday, but that didn't last long; a longing Asch didn't know existed overwhelmed his thoughts, and Luke craved him the same, if not more.

He took a second to breathe before Luke pulled him back into an aggressive kiss and forced his tongue into Asch's mouth. He willingly let him in and tried to keep up with Luke's strong but sloppy movements within his mouth. This was his first time doing anything like this, and all he knew was that he wanted more. He brought his arms around Luke's neck, and amidst the kiss Luke bit at his lip, causing a faint moan to escape from his mouth when he opened it. It was as if he somehow knew all his weaknesses from the start and Luke was playing with him. He felt Luke smile against his lips at Asch's reaction, and Asch took this momentary lapse to turn the concealed kiss into a wet, openmouthed exchange and entangled his own tongue with Luke's. This time Luke was the one who moaned, and let himself be taken in by Asch's lovely curves and twists and turns of his tongue.

Luke was much more passionate and clumsy when it came to intimacy, while Asch was more reserved but still completely engaged. It was a constant battle for satisfying the other; they were exact opposites in every way, and yet everything felt right to him. He was making out with someone he barely knew in an abandoned, haunted basement, and _it somehow still felt right to him._

It could have been a couple of minutes or an hour; Asch lost track of how much time they spent wedged together, kissing breathlessly in a silent harmony. Eventually they both weakened and pulled away after a couple smaller kisses. Asch wiped off his mouth and tried to detach himself from Luke, but he held him back.

"Wait," Luke murmured, and then undid one of Asch's buttons near his collar. He pressed his lips up against his exposed collarbone, and bit into the pale skin. His lips left with lovely violet mark at the nape of his neck, and he pulled away to admire his work. Before Asch could question him, Luke buttoned his shirt for him and went after the flashlight.

Asch felt his hand subconsciously rub against his collarbone, wondering what it meant. Labels had always been important to him, but when it came to any type of relationship, friendly or otherwise, the lines seemed to blur and the lack of description bothered him. He wasn't really sure who had the power in this relationship, though, because it seemed to switch between the two of them with every passing event. No, he was going too far as to label it as a relationship already, and he decided he'd leave it up to Luke.

Luke seemed to have the same thoughts, and asked, "Hey, uhm, Asch, are we,"

There was a loud crash from across the basement, sounding more like an echo than an original sound.

"Where are Sync and Guy, exactly?" Asch asked. Luke blinked vaguely until he came to the same conclusion that they'd both completely forgotten the pair.

Without another word they hastened over to the other side of the basement, calling out to Sync and Guy while navigating through junk.

Suddenly a wave of relief fell over Asch when he saw the two tinkering with a large machine, so massive that it looked like a giant carousel minus the horses and twirling lights. The object had two main parts: one piece brushing against the ceiling made of rusted metal, and a platform beneath it, made of the same metal but with a different structure. The platform on bottom had many wires leading from it and to cracked screens and computers that Asch assumed controlled the machine.

"What is this hunk of junk?" Luke asked as he gave it a solid kick with his boot. The hollow noise it made resonated through the entire basement and made Sync and Guy jump.

"Don't break it, you idiot!" Sync hissed from behind the machine.

"Looks like a prototype for a fomicry machine," Guy answered as he circled around the platform with his flashlight.

_Fomicry? They don't mention that field in the list of courses, _Asch thought curiously_. What did the college need with this?_

"Where have you two been, anyway?" Sync called out.

Before Asch could create an answer, Guy said, "I know Luke got lost, didn't he? And then you got lost looking for him?"

"Hah, Asch probably hid somewhere, crying about all the ghosts," Sync teased. Guy and Luke laughed, while Asch futilely protested against his own fear.

"And Luke probably did the same when he realized it was, Yulia forbid, _dark_!" Guy mocked, putting emphasis on the last word.

This time Luke was the defiant one, but eventually gave up trying to fight it just as Asch did. Sync and Guy engaged their focus in the machine once again, and Asch almost regretted coming to find them. A part of him wanted to be alone with Luke, a part of him he wasn't willing to admit to just yet. He looked over and saw Luke bent next to an object lodged in the ground.

"This is a sword, isn't it? Guy, come here, listen to this! It's making noise!" He said excitedly as he put his ear close to the dull blade.

Guy ran over and curiously put his ear next to it. He seemed amazed that Luke was correct; the peculiar weapon was making a sort of ringing resonance.

"I'm taking this home as a souvenir! I bet it's cursed, huh, Asch?" Luke said while grinning over at Asch.

"Don't bring that near me," Asch replied nervously when he saw the intent in his eyes.

Luke gripped the handle tightly and his boots slipped a little as he freed it from the ground. The second it was loose a plume of black smoke poured out from the crack in the floor and Luke stumbled backwards as he recoiled. The smoke eventually stopped flowing from the ground, and Luke flashed his light at the cloud in puzzlement.

The group watched as the smoke materialized into bones, until it was a towering skeleton pieced together with rotting and blackened marrow. Instead of normal proportions, it had four arms, each with a sharp blade and behind these, a barbed tail carved out of the same black bones swung back and forth. Molten red beads filled in the sunken black sockets within the decayed skull that flickered from Luke, to Asch, to Sync, to Guy. It's jaw was slightly ajar and full of sharp, mismatching teeth, curved into a crooked, monstrous smile.

The creature gave out a piercing screech and then focused its ghastly gaze on Luke, who was frozen in shock from the spine-chilling figure.

"Run!" Guy yelled out in a frantic voice.

* * *

(To be continued... Fight with the Sword Dancer?!)


	7. Chapter 7

With a hefty swing of a swift blade, the monster for Luke as he cringed, waiting for the inevitable splitting of his skull. There was a loud clang of steel on steel just before the blade would have torn open his skin. Luke looked up and realized that Asch was standing over him, bracing himself against the blade with a metal pole he found lying on the ground.

"Get out of here you idiot!" Asch yelled and gritted his teeth as he lost ground against the monster.

Luke scrambled to his feet and backed off to where Guy was standing in shock. The metal bar gave a crack as the steel blade cut through it. Asch jumped back as it broke and narrowly dodged the next slice, however, the shockwave sent him staggering backward. Lucky for him, Luke accidentally left the cursed blade on the ground near him, so he snatched it and began to block the endless rain of slashes. Every parry he made barely left a chip in the blackened bones, and he was steadily losing ground.

"Damn it! Nothing's working!" He yelled as he ducked beneath two crossing blades.

"It's a spirit, what do you expect?" Guy yelled back. He and Luke were fearfully watching his dance with the creature like scared cheerleaders on the sidelines.

_A spirit, of course! I have to cast something quick before I'm cornered,_ Asch thought and backed up till he had some space to cast. The monster's arms were swift and light, but the weight of his disproportionate upper body left him with slow and sluggish steps. Asch had all the time he needed as long as he was out of range.

He casted the fastest arte he knew, sending out bright plumes of fire. As soon as they impacted the monster, it gave out a loud cry of pain and headed towards Asch in a fervent rage.

"Someone distract this thing so I can cast!" Asch yelled as he started dodging anger fueled jabs.

Almost as if on cue, Sync appeared out of nowhere with a rusty piece of pipe and sprinted between the creatures legs, striking it and then pulling back when the creature made a jab at him. He definitely didn't get a track scholarship for nothing. Guy and Luke started throwing small objects to help Sync, and Asch focused on artes. The odd sword seemed to amplify his abilities, but these tiny, quick artes weren't going to finish the monster off before Sync grew tired.

Instead of sending out a flurry of weak spells, he drew forth a mass of fonons and braced himself as they flowed through his skin. He closed his eyes and focused as hard as possible while he muttered the incantation beneath his breath. He'd never used this arte before, only read about it, and if this didn't work they were doomed.

"Asch, what's taking so long?" Guy asked out apprehensively.

_I need more time._

"We're totally out of things to use, hurry up!" Luke said frantically.

_I need more time._

He heard a crack, presumably Sync's pipe breaking, and then a grunt as the hilt of the monster's sword jabbed Sync. He crashed into some boxes father back in the room. Asch had no time to worry about him as the heaving steps of the monster grew louder and closer; it was now or never.

Asch plunged the sword into the ground and yelled, "Indignation!"

An ear-splitting crack of thunder erupted from the blade and the room lit up as currents of electricity branched out across the floor and climbed up the walls. Another boom of thunder followed and the ground rattled all the loose things in the basement. Light began emanating from above the monster until it condensed into a thunderbolt that cracked out from the ceiling and engulfed the monster. It let out a blood-curdling shriek as electricity cracked its bones, and everyone looked away from the bright flash. When the light died down, all that was left of the menacing figure was a small heap of black powder.

Asch fell to his knees in relief, but still gripped the sword stuck in the ground. Guy and Luke rushed over to him while Sync kicked up the powder and cheered as if it were confetti.

"That was amazing! No, that was the strongest arte I've ever seen, Asch!" Guy said in shock.

He slowly looked up and weakly responded, "You think so?"

It was the strongest arte Asch ever read about, actually, and he quickly realized he was in no shape to cast it with the little experience he had. His vision began to blur almost immediately and he felt himself swaying to and fro like a metronome.

"Asch? Are you okay?" Luke asked nervously as he watched him struggle to stand.

He didn't respond as his vision blacked out and he collapsed, barely caught by Guy.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Guy said, and Luke nodded in agreement.

* * *

Asch rushed up out of blackness and instantly regretted it, falling back on his elbows for support. Instead of pain, all he felt was complete weakness overcoming him, like an extreme case of the flu.

Arietta was standing over him, and a white light was emanating from her hands, but when she realized he was awake she pulled away and glared at him.

"What were you doing in an abandoned basement? You look like a disaster, Asch! I meant it when I said I was going to kick your ass!" Arietta started yelling but Sync pulled her back before she could get any punches in.

"He's been yelling like this for an entire hour," Luke complained. Asch almost laughed when he referred to her as a boy, when it was so obvious by her manner and voice she wasn't.

_Wait, Arietta was here?_

Asch looked around and realized he was in his own house for a change, sitting on the couch near the fireplace. Grant was sitting in the kitchen, looking amused at all the people suddenly bombarding the house.

"You really lived up to your nickname, princess. I had to carry your frail, unconscious body all the way back here!" Guy said while grinning.

"But, seriously," Guy looked over at him warmly, "thanks. You really saved our asses back there."

_Wait, Guy was here?_ Asch suddenly connected the dots between Ren, Sync, and Guy; he hadn't told Sync that Guy knew about Arietta. Guy winked and let Asch know he was thinking the same thing, but didn't speak.

"Who are these lovely intruders, Asch?" Grant asked as she handed him a hot drink.

"Intruders?" Asch asked.

"Well, I left my key at Guy's apartment, you see, so I snuck in the back window, you know, the one we always leave unlocked," Sync started.

"And when we came in, he had us at gunpoint!" Guy finished in an upset tone.

"What would you have done if there were strangers in your house at two in the morning?" She mumbled back.

"Are you two staying over?" Arietta asked as she warily eyed them both. Grant and Ren didn't hang out with any of the nobility, and it was probably strange to even have a civil conversation with them.

"If it doesn't bother you too terribly," Guy said respectfully, and even bowed for effect.

"Asch and I both have an extra bed in our rooms, or you can sleep down here. It's a lot warmer down here, though," Sync said, trying to hint that he didn't want to sleep with anyone.

"I'm going back to sleep. Watch yourself, Asch," She said, glaring at him as she walked up the stairs.

Sync followed after her, and he heard them both laughing from afar. Luke and Guy looked at each other oddly, but didn't say anything as they assumed the obvious. Legretta sat in the kitchen, reading something; she never slept, but it seemed as if she wanted to listen in on their conversation this time.

"In all seriousness, how are you feeling? I know you'll lie to those two, but you don't look well," Guy said sternly, "we've seen you at your best and your worst, so lying to us is useless."

_Why does he care so much?_

Asch mumbled a usual,_ "I'm fine, leave me alone,"_ response. He closed his eyes and hoped that he'd fall unconscious right there; talking was too much effort, and they were too excited to sleep. They'd probably never had a near-death experience, being so sheltered, and he doubt they'd fall asleep tonight. Luke and Guy were arguing about what actually happened and then asking his opinion, accompanied by sound effects and gestures. Asch mumbled whatever seemed necessary for them to stop talking to him, and their conversation picked up once again. They sounded like little children; they sounded like best friends. All Sync and he had done since they arrived was argue, and it was only getting worse as the year pressed on. In fact, he was a lot closer to these strangers at this point.

_I should really stop referring to them as strangers, but I still don't feel as if I know them all the same,_ he thought, and then looked over at them.

Guy was laying on the floor and lazily looking at his phone, and Luke was staring at Asch with an affectionate sadness. Asch glanced over miserably before closing his eyes again.

"You two can go to sleep, you know. Just use my room," Asch mumbled without opening his eyes. He was slipping back into unconsciousness, and he could feel the dizziness swirling in his head.

There was a loud thud upstairs, followed by angry yelling. _Sync was probably retelling the story,_ Asch assumed by Arietta's yells.

Grant sighed loudly before saying, "I'll go calm him down." She marched up the stairs and Luke and Guy looked over at Asch for an explanation.

"Are Sync and Ren," Luke paused as if he didn't know how to word it, "together?"

Asch looked over at Guy who was smirking, and Asch curtly replied, "Not my place to say."

Luke looked back and forth between Asch and Guy before asking, "What's going on?"

Luck was on Asch's side, and he was suddenly hit with a wall of nausea mixed with dizziness, and everything shuttered out into black.

* * *

When he woke up, he was in his own bed for the first time in what felt like years. It was bright, but there wasn't any sunlight slipping in from the window; it looked as if it were going to snow. The sleepy, snowy weather was his favorite, and he almost drifted back to sleep. He looked over to the bed across from him and saw Sync snoring, curled up in his blanket. That meant Guy and Luke split in Sync's room.

He reawakened minutes later and realized he didn't wake up in his own room; this was Sync's room. _Was it so much to ask for to sleep in his own bed for once?_

It was odd to think the pair slept in his room, although he didn't have anything in there except for the necessities. Sync had posters and heaps of blankets and clothes sprawled out all over his room; he didn't organize a single thing. No wonder they picked Asch's room.

Asch pulled himself up, but he was still weak from last night and it took him a while to actually get on his own two feet. Before he left the room, he looked in the mirror and silently thanked Arietta; almost all the pain was gone and the bruises were much less severe. He looked over at Sync once more before he carefully unbuttoned the first button on his shirt. The lovely indigo bite was still there, and he admired his collarbone for a few seconds.

Sync mumbled something in his sleep, and Asch quickly fixed his shirt and silently left the room, tiptoeing down the stairs. Grant was awake, like always, and he poured himself some coffee before coming to sit by her on the couch.

"Sorry about this," Asch said as she flipped through channels.

She looked over at him, then back at the TV with a bored expression.

"One of them knows about Arietta," she said through pursed lips.

Asch replied, "He overheard me and Sync on the phone, and Sync,"

"Slipped up, once again," She finished. They sat in silence for a while, and Asch couldn't decipher if she was going to run upstairs to kill Sync or Guy.

"I have class," Asch mumbled and headed back up the stairs.

He slowly opened the door to his room and saw that Luke and Guy were both were asleep. He quietly went over to his closet and took out a new uniform. Looking over, he saw that Luke had taken his bed, no surprise there. He slept like a kid, clutching his pillow instead of actually using it. Guy was sprawled out across the spare bed with four different blankets covering him, and Asch noticed he drooled a little in his sleep. _Charming._

Quickly taking a shower and changing, he went back into his room to grab his bag. He and Arietta were the only two who took the Fonic Artes, so he assumed they didn't need to wake up. However, if they were still here when he came back, he was going to get even more irritated than he already was.

As he left his room, a melancholy voice called out his name from the end of the hall. He sighed and headed over to the source, Arietta's room, and saw that she had a hairbrush in one hand, a hat in the other, and a hairpin in her mouth. He shook his head and retrieved the hairbrush and hat, and she spat out the pins.

"Why don't you get Legretta to do this?" He asked while softly pinning up her hair. It had to be perfect, or else it would fall out during the day; he didn't understand why she refused to cut it.

"She never does it right, and besides, I needed to talk to you," she said while sitting in front of the mirror.

"You're going to have to wait until after class to beat me up," he replied sarcastically as he fitted the hat over the neatly hidden pink twirl.

"You make it look so nice, and then I have to cover it up with the hat. I hate that," she murmured as she put on her coat.

They walked down the steps and headed out into the overcast morning. She looked depressed, well, more depressed than usual, and hid in her coat. Either Sync and she were fighting, or she had something serious on her mind.

"You and Sync, you guys aren't acting like friends anymore," she said, and a silence fell over the woods.

"We're just in a fight, and neither of us will admit it. I'm sure it'll all be back to normal soon," he said reassuringly, although he wasn't so sure himself.

"You two can't keep lying to each other. It's always been us three, you know, and now I don't know where we stand," she said.

"I don't know what I'm doing wrong," Asch muttered.

"You're distant, and angry, and never around anymore. If we do get to see you, you're a zombie! You're treating us like strangers!" She yelled back.

He sighed and replied with a simple, "I'm sorry."

They continued walking, until eventually reaching the courtyard and meeting with the rest of the class. She pulled on his sleeve and he looked over at her. She smiled at him, as if forgiving him, and he gave his best shot at a smile back.

"Hey! It was Asch, wasn't it?" A voice called out and Asch turned around.

"Oh, yeah," Asch said a little puzzled, "hey, Ion."

"I just transferred here, and i don't really know anyone. Mind if I stick around with you two?" He asked, and Asch couldn't refuse the bright smile and glittering eyes.

"Well, hi! Ion, what do you specialize in?" She asked curiously. He wondered if Arietta noticed the resemblance or just chose to ignore it, because she didn't seem surprised at all.

"Daathic Artes, of course," he replied.

They conversed for a while, but when it finally came time practice, Asch was weak at best. He hadn't recovered from last night, and Arietta continually yelled at him as if that would persuade him to go home. Ion seemed weak too; he was drained after each arte, just like Asch.

"Are you okay?" Asch asked nervously as he watched Ion struggle to stand.

"I'm a bit weak, but thats what training is for, right?" He replied cheerily.

_There's no way someone could be this perfect and innocent and look anything like Sync_, Asch mused as the bell rang.

* * *

Chemistry eventually rolled by, and as everyone left Asch headed over to Jade's desk. Jade didn't look up from his book, but asked, "You wanted to say something, Asch?"

"Ah, I was just wondering," He faltered with his words but decided it was just best to put it bluntly, "does this school have a course involving fomicry?"

Jade pulled his eyes away from his book and stared at Asch intently. Obviously, he said something wrong for Jade to look so serious, and readied an apology. Without a reply, Jade left his desk, and Asch followed him as he headed through a door in the back of the classroom. There was a long hallway through it, leading Asch to an unfamiliar part of the building. They abruptly stopped before a steel door and Jade looked back at him again.

"It was you, correct?"

"What are you talking about?" He added on a_ sir_ a few seconds later.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell something is going on with you," Jade said, obviously hinting at his bruises and gaunt cheekbones._ Speaking of which, when did he last eat?_

"Just a little stressed," Asch said and added a weak laugh. He wanted to ask what exactly was going on, but the silence of the hall sealed into his lips and prevented words from escaping.

"There was a great deal of fonons amassed beneath this building last night; when I say a great deal, I mean an impossible natural circumstance except for maybe the Planet Storm. Why do I think you're behind it, you may ask yourself?"

_Because I asked about fomicry._

"Because you asked about fomicry within the school, and such classified information is even withheld from the dean. The only chance of someone hypothetically finding out is if they happened to come across, oh I don't know, and old machine used solely for the purpose of fomicry hidden in the basement. So, I find myself wondering," He stopped for a moment looking amused, "who could possibly be responsible for this?"

Asch didn't know what to say; he mentally cursed himself for ever saying anything. Would he be expelled for this?

"I see great potential within you, but if you let this school destroy you, then there's nothing I can do for you. At this point, I only have one real question," he stopped and gave a dark smile at Asch, "would you like to assist me?"

"I don't have an option, do I?" Asch said, although he would've said yes anyway.

Jade didn't reply and unlocked the door, leading into a dark room.


	8. Chapter 8

"A what?" Asch repeated as he walked down the hall in a daze.

Everything Jade told him yesterday was still whizzing in his head, and focusing on anything else was impossible. He'd taken Asch around the giant laboratory space he never knew existed, and Jade showed him all their studies. It had to do with fomicry, which was obvious, but when he asked Jade what was going on, he was extremely tight lipped. He wouldn't say if he'd ever successfully done anything with his research, or his purpose which gave Asch nothing to work with. For as much as Jade said, he didn't say much at all; Asch had to decide whether he wanted to help or not before he would tell him any of the actual truth.

"A date," Luke repeated excitedly, but Asch didn't seem to hear him.

Jade wanted him to almost disappear from of all his classes; apparently his other teachers, Dist, who taught fonic artes, and Spinoza, who covered all his advanced math, were in on this project; Jade would take care of the others, he said. It was a lot of work for just one student, but for some reason Jade seemed fixed on the idea of Asch working with him, and it almost seemed set up.

Everything he promised to Arietta, about spending more time with Sync and her, and trying to be around more often: _everything was going to fall apart_. Worst of all, he couldn't tell them anything; he could only apologize. But this is what he came here to do, so why should he feel so guilty?

"Asch," Luke said sternly and stopped in the empty hallway.

_He could just say no._

"Hey, Asch!" Luke said while grabbing his arm.

"What?" Asch asked while he stared off into space. He tried to pull his arm away quickly but Luke didn't loosen his grip.

Saying_ no_ was shutting all the doors to his future, saying _no_ was admitting defeat; it was the inevitable decision between his past and his future. He was desperately curious and hopelessly invested in Jade's intentions, but leaving Sync and Arietta behind was almost impossible to think about. _And Luke?_, he had no idea where to begin with their situation; it was secretive and a bad idea in the first place, but Asch couldn't seem to shake the curse Luke had on him. They would fight and be at each others throats in anger, but it dived into passion and forgiveness seconds later. He felt comfortable around him, instead of his usual stoic behavior, and maybe that's why Luke seemed to linger with him long after they'd separated.

"What is wrong with you?" Luke asked crossly while trying to keep Asch's focus on him. Asch stared blankly back at him, unable to comprehend what he possibly wanted.

"We shouldn't be seen together," Asch muttered as he tried to push Luke away.

"And why's that?" Luke said defiantly, not letting go of his arm.

He needed more time to think.

"I think you know why," Asch replied angrily, "besides, someone is trying to kill me. They'll come after you."

_Does someone else know Jade's plan, is that why they attacked me? I guess that's obvious at this point_.

"Have you been sleeping?" He asked warily and then gave Asch a weird look.

Paranoia is predicted to set in after 48 hours of no sleep; Luke thought Asch had lost it, didn't he? He seemed to remember a lot from that damn psychology class he took but not much else.

When Asch gave him a nod of the head in response to say yes while biting his bitter tongue, Luke continued, "It sure doesn't seem like it. Don't be stupid, Asch, no one is going to come after you. Let's just take a break, skip afternoon class, and go to town."

What about Luke? If he couldn't tell him what was going on, no doubt Luke would get suspicious, and then they would end up in one huge argument that Asch did not want to be a part of. Was leaving everyone behind worth it?

"Oh, fine, don't look so pissed off. Just come over at least," Luke whined, trying not to turn this into another fight.

"I promised Sync and Arietta I'd," He stopped, wondering if it even mattered anymore. Maybe if he just pushed them all away it would hurt less for everyone involved.

"Asch, if you don't like me, just say so. I just thought," Luke let go of his arm, "I just thought you did, I mean, I do."

He should just lie, say that Luke meant nothing to him, and walk away. It'd be less painful for Luke not having to deal with his antics. Asch's own feelings didn't matter in the long run, they'd never mattered before. Asch would go back to his silent, ghostly presence; nothing but an empty doll endlessly working itself to death.

"I can't put you through this," Asch said while trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

"Put me through what? Asch, tell me what the hell is going on, or so help me I'll make you! Quit acting so distant!"

Distant: that's how he felt. Far away from everyone else. The lack of sleep, the stress, and the endless work were all slowly eroding his brain and left him hopelessly distant from the entire world.

He somehow found the strength to open his mouth and utter an apology, but Luke only grew more frustrated. At this point, they'd be yelling and fighting over something like this, which is why Luke wouldn't take him seriously. He wasn't acting like himself, but he wasn't sure how else to act about it. Maybe he just needed to be stern, to fight it out with everyone until they left him alone.

Suddenly he realized he no longer stood still and, instead, Luke dragged him across the courtyard and through the bitter snow. It seemed like only seconds until he found himself sitting on the couch in his own house. The setting meant nothing compared to Jade's words that hung heavy over his thoughts, and he continued to brood over the decision while ignoring everything else.

"Fix him!" Luke said miserably.

Asch slowly looked up and saw Sync and Arietta staring back at him. These three people meant so much to him and yet he was utterly alone, unable to tell them a thing. Legretta was nearby, probably watching the whole situation like she always did. His thoughts came to an abrupt stop when a sharp slap snapped his head sideways, and he met Arietta's angry face when he finally looked back.

"Wake up, Asch! What is going on with you? Stop it," she started trembling, "stop it, now. Don't do this to us again."

He spent most of his childhood like this, an empty and rage-fueled kid who kept to himself and didn't say a word. All he did was study, as if the knowledge could scrape away the emptiness caking up his skin. He'd been like that for as long as he could remember, until one day, an annoying kid named Sync forced him out of his small, dusty space within the orphanage and outside. He dragged Asch up to the roof, and he also remembered the biting cold of that night. The view is what stuck with him the most, however, and it was like a picture painted beneath his eyes. There were stars, bright and glittering, pinned onto an indigo sea. But of course, back then, he only grew angrier because he couldn't count them all. It didn't make any sense to him why that even mattered, but he seemed to always have a fixation on numbers, on what was real in a sense.

_Why can't you just look at the stars and be happy?,_ Sync asked him.

_Because they meant nothing. Everything meant nothing,_ he replied and tried to free himself from the enchantment the sky possessed.

Sync stopped him, and said,_ You are something, you know? You exist and breathe and scowl and piss everyone off, and that is something. There has to be a meaning to it all._

After a long pause, he agreed that the sky was _technically_ something and sat outside the rest of the night. He woke up the next morning with a cold, but still spent the next night outside, sitting next to a funny green-haired kid.

Asch stood up and exited the house, and no one tried to stop him. They all stopped mid-sentence, as if his footsteps ended their argument, but he didn't bother to see if it picked right back up again as he left. It was frigid outdoors and his lungs crystallized with each empty breath, but he could see the stars from outside. It wasn't at all like the first night he'd seen them with Sync; the Keterburg sky was brighter, sharper, clearer. He almost felt like he could count all of these, if he had enough time.

"The sky means something," he said to himself.

"Asch, you're scaring all of us," Sync said nervously from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw all three of them giving him worried glances. He didn't care how strange they all thought he was acting; they didn't matter anymore.

"It'd be best," Asch's voice grew firmer, "it'd be best if you all forgot me. I'm not going to be around much anymore, and I can't tell you why. So leave me alone."

"Trying to ditch us again? Fine. Disappear. Go back to where you started; a worthless orphan! I don't want to ever see you again, you hear me?" Sync yelled and stomped back inside. Arietta let out a sob and started running after Sync before she broke down completely. They both were so dramatic, and would probably be over it within minutes, but it still left an unnatural pain in his chest.

That was it, he'd made his choice; he decided to avoid thinking or feeling anything past this point, because his emotions would burn a hole through his frozen skin if he let them. He had to think logically, plan for the next thing, ignore everything he couldn't touch or feel or breathe in. Sync and Arietta would not doubt go crazy at the sight of him, especially in the mornings, so he was going to have to sneak in and out. _If he even spent any time at home._

Luke brought Asch back into reality and pulled him up against the wall by the collar and started yelling, "Those two might be willing to put up with this, but I'm not, you asshole! I don't know your past, or who you've been, or just about anything about you. What I do know is that I can't, no I won't, let go of the only thing in my life that's worthwhile. You're doing this on purpose; I can see straight through your lies. Just fucking," Luke stopped for a moment as if he were a little choked up, "just tell me something, anything. Don't shut us all out, don't shut _me_ out."

He let go, and Asch walked back inside without another word.

* * *

"Let's get started, shall we?" Jade said as he opened the door for Asch.

Asch nodded in agreement and prepared himself for whatever came next. He was an assistant now, nothing more. What he couldn't figure out was why he interested Jade so much; the assistants measured his blood fonons, scanned his body for his fonon frequency, and multiple other tests that didn't make much sense. He didn't seem like an intern, in fact, he just felt like a test subject.

It suddenly hit him that Jade probably didn't even care about Asch's intelligence or even his skills; he wanted him solely as a test subject. He could have anyone in the world as an assistant, and some student would probably not be his first pick. _Why hadn't he realized this sooner, and more importantly, why was he here?,_ he thought miserably as his intelligence caught up with him.

"Jade, what's really going on?" Asch asked, suddenly not intimidated by him.

"That didn't take long. Oh well, I think you're rational enough to handle the truth, so I'll tell you."

_He wasn't even phased that I found out he was lying_, Asch thought crossly.

"Starting from the beginning, or at least from the success of fomicry research about ten years ago. That's when we perfected the science to the point of creating two separate, individual beings with the same abilities and skills. However, even with the same DNA and genes, there is still some randomized genes, like if you have a pointy or crooked nose if both your parents have the same. Just minor things, just enough to separate individuals. Personalities depend on environments, too, so we can't exactly control that," He explained.

"Right, I once read about that. One of your books, actually," Asch said nervously, hoping Jade was going to get to the point soon. Fomicry always seemed like an odd concept, and he'd never heard of it actually being successful before._ In fact, he was convinced that it hadn't ever worked, but why would they lie about that?_

"Two of these replicas go to your school," He continued, "and one of them is Sync."

"Ion," Asch breathed out subconsciously as he put two and two together.

"So you've met him, that smooths things along. They both have the abilities to be a Fon Master, and are capable of daathic fonic artes, to a certain point," he replied as he led Asch over to the other side of the room.

"And I'm not allowed to tell him," Asch said quietly.

"No, but he's a smart boy," Jade said while winking.

_So I have the choice to tell him or not,_ Asch thought.

"So how do I fit into all of this?" Asch asked when the finally stopped.

"Hyperresonance."

"What about it?"

"There is only one human being able to singlehandedly create a hyperresonance," He said and stared directly at Asch. It was hard to describe his look; it was the first time Jade actually made eye contact with Asch that he could remember. Jade's eyes were a mix of every emotion in-between, protected by lenses and tempered with maroon. He had a sly smile, but with curiosity and an attempt at modesty hidden behind it rather than a generic smile. He half expected pointed teeth to grind together within that coy expression.

"You're not saying," Asch started slowly; maybe if he talked slow enough, he could delay the truth.

"Why do you think you made it into this school? Or Sync? Or Arietta? You all have skills that are unique, special only to you three. Well, technically, Sync isn't exactly one of a kind, but he's still a valuable subject."

"Arietta?" Asch asked, although he was so in shock that he couldn't put a name to a face.

"She knows her talents, but she keeps it so hidden from you two which is sad, really," Jade mused. Asch stood there in an impatient shock, waiting on to Jade's answer.

"Oh, I don't want to leave you hanging, you wanted to know what it is, correct? She can talk to monsters, befriend them, control them. We're definitely interested in such a unique talent, which is why she was accepted even with her sub-par grades. Haven't you ever wondered how she makes it through the walks back and forth through the forest? Of course, we'd never let anything like that happen. Everything is set up, a controlled, safe environment. Legretta's there, too, as a safeguard within the house," He continued.

_Legretta was in on this? All his time here meant nothing; everything meant nothing._ His intelligence meant nothing, everything he worked for meant nothing. He would've gotten in if he didn't even try. The three of them were watched and set up for half a semester now, and none of them even noticed. Everything was suddenly fitting into place, all the things that made no sense within his life, and Jade's words fit together like puzzle pieces. His shock suddenly dived into rage; everything around him was a lie._ Was Luke a liar, too?_

"Was almost killing me a test, too?" Asch asked angrily.

Of course, it was an obvious test to put Luke and him together. Maybe Guy sent them down in that basement as a test, too. They both lied to him; everyone did.

Asch tightened his fists and felt his blood boil; he was an idiot. Luke pretended to be stupid, didn't he? He and Guy, they were just extensions of Jade, pinning together the little bubble he lived in. Luke probably didn't even care about him at all.

"No," Jade said through pursed lips, "someone's trying to interfere. I'll find out who, and trust me, I'll make sure they don't bother you three. Although they seem heavily fixated on you for that matter. Oh, something else. Don't lose your temper when I tell you."

Asch didn't respond as his anger faded to bitter emptiness. He knew nothing, and he had no right to be angry. He fell for it, and it was his own fault for even coming to this cursed school.

"It was a test, what I said earlier. You don't have to worry about leaving your friends, or anyone for that matter. I just wanted to know how tightly someone's lips may stay sealed if necessary. Everything will go on normally, especially when you tell them both what you just heard. I don't mind if you do, since you already plan to, just make sure it stays within that house. Legretta will make sure, too. Just show up here a couple nights of the week," He said.

Just another test. He'd just destroyed his friendships for a test, and Jade didn't even hint at an apology. He couldn't seem to find the anger he needed at this point, and bitterness fueled his silence. He was just another piece in Jade's chess game, not a pawn, but not much more.

"What do you get out of this?" Asch asked quietly.

"So you agree to all of this? Good. Show up here in two days, at night of course. Whatever time is preferable to you so long as it's dark," He said and led Asch to the door.

_What's the point? What is Jade trying to do?_

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"See you in class Wednesday!" Jade said with a fake cheeriness in his voice, and with that Asch exited the building and slowly trudged through the snow.

He didn't even know much about hyperresonance, much less know how to use it. There wasn't any research on the topic, just that it involved new age sciences and the Seventh Fonon.

The front steps of the porch were in front of him now, and he knew he'd have to tell them something. He couldn't keep it a secret because Jade obviously sent him as the messenger, but he'd forced them to hate him already;_ would they even listen?_

He couldn't bring himself to step inside and instead sat on the frigid steps and looked back up at the sky. It was beautiful, out in the woods and far away from any artificial lights corrupting the stars, but the snow left him numb and shivering. However, numb was exactly where he wanted to be.

"Come inside," Legretta said as she suddenly appeared behind him in the silhouette of the door.

"Is that an order from Jade?" He muttered without turning around. There was a pause of silence.

"So he told you. No, it's me trying to prevent you from getting frostbite. You've been out here for an hour, sitting there motionless. I made some coffee," She said sternly, but with a hidden motherly tone he recognized.

The couch was warm, the cup was warm, but he wasn't. No matter how bright the fire blazed or how tightly he wrapped the blanket around himself, he was numb and frozen within. And he had a cold, not metaphorically speaking. Legretta was coaching him on the basics of how she lived, telling him all sorts of information she'd picked up; she was probably dying having to keep it all in while she babysat the three of them.

"Let them down easily. Don't tell them about the experiment, just tell them that Jade told you and you were supposed to keep it a secret. Then, admit that you'll tell them, and patch everything up," Legretta said eventually as she sat next to him.

_What did she get out of this?_

"I'm supposed to lie to them too," Asch muttered.

"You can tell them everything of you want to so badly. But they'll feel just like you do now, and they aren't as strong as you are. The truth will break them." She stood up to leave.

"I'll tell them you're back."


	9. Chapter 9

Asch hunched over the fireplace and silently thanked Legretta for pulling him inside before he was frostbitten. When he heard Sync and Arietta shuffle down the stairs he flinched but straightened up, waiting for them to talk. However, no one said a word, and they pair sat quietly on the couch behind him. There was a long period of undisturbed silence until Asch assumed it was his show to direct.

"I," Asch stopped and tried to figure out how to word his sentence, "Jade told me something I wasn't supposed to tell you."

"What I say stays in this room, okay?" Asch said firmly. Lying really wasn't that hard for him, he just tried to avoid it.

"You can tell us anything, Asch. Just don't shut us out. I don't want to lose you again," Arietta muttered somberly while gripping at the frail cloth bunching up at her knees.

The word _again_ stung, but he kept his emotions at bay for the performance at hand. _First, he had to cast the blame on someone else._ Making someone else share the blame, another bad guy for them to pin their anger on, would create a mutual forgiveness between them all.

"Why can't you tell us anything, Arietta?" Asch replied. He decided to start with Arietta, who wasn't one to argue or lie. She'd give in easily and Sync would follow, bringing this fight to a crashing halt.

"What do you-"

"Arietta," Asch said sternly. Their eyes met for a moment and the fear that sparked in her eyes meant that she lost hope on trying to lie.

"I didn't want you to think I was a freak," she cried out in a trembling tone. Asch avoided looking at her; making Arietta cry was one of the worst sights in the world, and he had to stay strong and make her say it. Sync should hear it from her, not Asch.

"Someone tell me what's going on," Sync said nervously.

He looked over and saw Legretta perched on the stairs, eyeing him in approval. _Better to go ahead and spit it all out._

"We all got accepted to this school because we all have some special talent, something important and unique that interests the teachers here. While me and you were kept in the dark, Arietta figured this out all on her own," Asch continued. She needed to admit to it, she had to say the words out loud for this to be real.

"I only figured it out when I was walking home the first day, I didn't mean to lie to you guys!" She said while fighting back sobs.

Sync comforted her awkwardly but the room still waited for an answer. She cried into Sync's shoulder for a while, then eventually wiped away her tears to meet Asch's steeled gaze. _No escaping this one, keep talking, you can't run away._

In broken sentences and sobs, she said, "I was heading home, and it was dark, and a wolf jumped out of the woods! It was going to attack me so I just yelled out, 'Stop!', and the monster did. Just like that! It stopped its attack and looked at me expectantly, like it was a pet. It's not just wolves, either, I can talk to and control any monster. I was scared, and I felt like a freak, and I didn't want you guys to-"

Sync cut her explanation off and yelled excitedly, "No way! Why didn't you tell me? What do they talk about? Is it all just stupid thoughts, or are they intelligent?"

Asch knew Sync wouldn't even be fazed by it, he wasn't the type of person to judge anyone.

"You guys," she began to tear up again, but this time out of happiness, "you don't mind that I'm like this?"

She was happy, but Asch felt horrible. If he told her that it was all a plan, that someone splashed a bottle of dark water on her shoes after gym, deliberately attracting a monster so that she would find out, well, he didn't know what she'd do. They were all supposed to find out these things in a certain way; Arietta being the catalyst for Asch to tell Sync, and Asch being the one to orchestrate the whole situation in an effortless lie.

With the excitement buzzing between the pair on the couch, Asch decided that he needed to be blunt with Sync. He'll be too shocked to question any of the facts, but then again, Asch had been too. The more he thought about it, he realized _he didn't even ask Jade which one of Sync and Ion was the replica._

"Sync is a direct descendant of the original Fon Master, and can become one too, if he wants. The teachers here are probably the only ones who can tell you anything," Asch said casually when they finally stopped happily shouting out different ideas about controlling monsters.

"You've got to be kidding me!" He shouted and stood up excitedly.

"Dist said he'd help you out, if you want to use Daathic artes," Asch said, trying to keep up with their enthusiasm but failing miserably.

"I can't wait! I'm gonna be the next Fon Master!" He said excitedly.

"There's another kid who can use the Daathic artes too, so you have a little competition," Asch replied.

"No sweat, I'll toast him," Sync said coyly. Asch doubted they'd make a Fon Master out of him, but he wasn't sure what the three of them were actually supposed to do.

"We're like superheroes! Wait, Asch, what's your thing? Is it your intelligence, because it's already pretty impossible to be that smart," Arietta asked mid-sentence. Sync looked over in confusion for a moment when he realized he'd totally forgotten about Asch.

_Was he supposed to tell them?_ He looked over at Legretta, who shrugged in response.

"I don't know, exactly. It's called hyperresonance, but I don't really know what it does," he said.

"Then its our job to find out!" Sync and Arietta agreed and went back to excitedly arguing over whose power was better.

"Remember, you can't tell anyone, okay? I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark," he said quietly and got up to leave. Legretta swiftly ascended the stairs as he reached them.

Lies became the framework of his new life, and he was unfortunately going to have to build around them.

"Wait, what are you going to tell Luke then? Or Guy? They definitely can't know, but Luke sure was broken up about it," Sync asked thoughtfully.

"I'll make up something," he said through gritted teeth._ He was definitely going to talk to them._

* * *

It was Guy who stopped him first, awaiting his arrival in front of the apartment. Asch didn't have a class until six tonight, so he waited till after that class to head over there, practicing a callous speech on his way over and cursing beneath his breath every few moments. Sync didn't take physics or know anything about it, so Asch could arrive home at two in the morning and he'd just ask how class went.

The first swing he took sent Guy stumbling backward in shock. Guy held out his hands defensively and tried to conjure up a defensive argument against Asch's anger.

"Now wait a minute," Guy started sympathetically, but Asch cut him off.

"How could you send us down in a basement, trying to get us killed? How could you tell him to deliberately act as if he wanted to kill himself? How could you both just fuck with me with a smile on your face?" Asch was yelling louder than he should've been, but he just didn't care anymore.

Guy got the upper hand in the fight when Asch stopped paying attention and punched him square in the jaw, causing a moment of peace between the two while they both recovered.

"You weren't supposed to fight the damn monster in that basement! You weren't supposed to have to save Luke! You weren't supposed to ever meet Luke! He," Guy stopped yelling, "he messed up everything. Your lab partner was supposed to be me, I was supposed to provoke your unreasonable anger and keep you in line, I was supposed to be the outside protector, while Legretta protected the inside."

_Luke didn't know. He wasn't a part of this. _

"Why'd you pair us up, then?" Asch asked bitterly. Guy wiped the blood off his mouth but didn't break eye contact.

"Go home, Asch," He said sternly.

"Tell me!" Asch spat back.

"The whole point of a lab partner is someone to antagonize you! The best way to fuel a hyperresonance is uncontrollable emotions, and your anger with Luke was stronger than I could ever fight you with, so we switched him in. He was a variable, a stupid, horrible experiment, but he gave something for you to fixate your anger on! You aren't the only one suffering because of that idiot! I almost died down there in that basement, too, you know!"

Asch stopped for a moment. It didn't make sense;_ why would Jade set up a perfect world only to throw someone like Luke in to tear it apart?_I Maybe he didn't realize how much damage one idiot could do, and there was no way he realized that Asch would end up being the idiot, falling for someone like him.

"Don't drag Luke into this, he's already ruined enough. Just try to continue through the semester like normal, like nothing happened. If you told him he'd end up getting us all killed," Guy said angrily.

Guy didn't like Luke at all, he just had to keep him in line, and he was doing a horrible job of it.

"When you said you couldn't be there to see if he was dead or not, you made an emergency phone call to Jade, right? What about when I got lost in the basement? Purposely leaving us assignments so that we'd end up fighting? And you blew up at Luke for spilling the chemicals on me but somehow pretended to be his friend? It was all just lies." Asch muttered out random phrases as he thought his way through it.

"I wouldn't have to lie," He pointed angrily up at the dark windows on the second floor, "if that idiot up there didn't exist!"

"All of these kids here, the noble students, are only here to avoid the war raging outside. Their parents only sent them here because they were safe at the edge of the world, save from ransom, criminals, and gunshots," Guy said as his anger subsided.

Guy wasn't a student, he was another worker here. Just like Legretta, blending in with everyone else.

"Did you lie to Luke's family to get his sent here?" Asch asked.

"They lied to him, not me. The only way he'd willingly come here is if they had a reasonable excuse. He's not the only student here who got _'exiled'_. The parents are just waiting the war out until they can welcome their precious kids back home."

"You play your part well," Asch mused sullenly. He wasn't even angry anymore, and he wanted to believe Guy. _Nothing meant anything anymore, so why should he be angry?_ Sync always told him to just go where things take you, like a fragile leaf in the winter breeze, and maybe that was his best option now.

"These aren't lies, Asch. We don't have to lie to you anymore," Guy said sternly.

"Right, I'm the liar now," Asch muttered miserably as he headed home. It was easy to see why Luke chose the easy way out; a bottle of pills and the pain disappears just like that. However, he had to shield Arietta and Sync, and he wasn't so weak as to fall prey to Death's siren song.

"See you tomorrow," Guy yelled back and headed inside.

* * *

"These lab reports are never-ending! Do we really have to go over to their stupid ritzy building again?" Sync whined as they made their way through the snow.

Asch didn't respond; _this was another test, wasn't it?_ To see how he'd react to Luke twenty-four seven. His life was reduced to tests now, well he assumed they were; he didn't have any proof. Maybe paranoia was a test.

His bitterness and melancholy was impossible to hide, and Sync often told him to _cheer up already, come play, let's go to the library, do anything other than sit there!_, and he'd do whatever Sync, or anyone, wanted him to do.

Things were not going well between the four of them, and the extended time they spent together just caused fiercer arguments each time. Luke would get into a one-sided argument with Asch, causing Sync to go into an upheaval to defend him, and then Guy would join in and try to calm down whoever was worst while keeping himself in line. And Asch just sat there silently, unamused amidst all the fighting.

He straightened up against one of Luke's many empty chairs, trying to stay awake while scribbling down what Luke needed to write on scrap paper and then handing it back to him. They hadn't argued yet this time; things were actually going well, mostly because Luke seemed pretty defeated tonight. He'd given up on yelling at Asch after a massive blow up with Guy. Asch assumed Guy and Luke were deteriorating as "friends", since Guy detested him at this point. Asch didn't bother to patch things up with Luke; it was better to keep him out of this mess. He was getting on Asch's nerves, too, but he had to put up with him and his complaining all the same.

_Asch and Sync were better than ever_, as Legretta put it. He didn't know anymore.

The tests and research Jade did went smoothly, but Jade said he was still unsure whether to practice the power. The way Asch was controlling himself now probably was a test to see if he would be able to control hyperresonance.

_Doing excellent_, is how Jade put it,_ except he was neglecting his health and would end up too weak to use his true abilities_.

Jade was right; all of his clothes were too loose, and he didn't do much more than drink coffee and stare at the wall all night. The brushstrokes of black beneath his eyes seemed to only deepen with each sleepless night.

_A zombie,_ as Guy put it, and Legretta started the habit of cooking every night to force him to eat.

_Not hungry,_ he always repeated while he avoided whatever she cooked. He only gave in when Arietta begged him to eat something with tears in her eyes.

Luke handed the notebook back to Asch and tried to make eye contact, as if that would give him an excuse to start a conversation. Asch met his gaze with an empty but annoyed glance, however, he never actually got angry anymore. He just _acted_ angry, which was enough to keep Luke from trying to talk to him.

_Sadness, Anger, Passion_, Guy said once,_ it didn't matter what emotion Asch focused on, as long as he invested in one._

"Well, we're done early this time. Meet you back home, Asch!" Sync said with a nervous but still cheerful voice. He knew Sync was worried about Asch but wouldn't say anything outright; everyone worried about him, even himself sometimes.

"Don't kill each other," Guy said with a laugh, the same nervous one Sync had.

After watching them both leave, Asch neatly wrote out was Luke needed to put down next, and handed the notebook over to him once again. Their projects only took so long because Asch was doing all the work, and usually longer when the other two left. Luke took this opportunity to argue the whole time.

"I'm not writing this down," Luke said defiantly and dropped the notebook.

"Why?" Asch asked with a blank expression._ Here we go again._

"Tell me what's wrong with you. This isn't okay, you know, school isn't supposed to do this to you. Maybe you should drop one of your classes, or,"

"I'm fine," he repeated like a broken record.

"People who are fine eat, and smile, and sleep, and get sad, and even get angry. You are none of those things," he sighed in frustration and continued, "you aren't fine. And I'm not writing a thing until you tell me."

"Whatever," Asch replied and looked at his phone to check the time. _It was late; maybe he should just head home._

"'Whatever?' Asch, if there's only one thing in this world you care about, it's your coursework!" He yelled back.

"It's fine. If you don't want to, then don't," He said crossly. Jade would understand why he didn't finish; he was just as sick of Luke as everyone else.

Luke stood up and got in Asch's face while glaring at him and said, "Stop acting like this! I don't know what you're getting from this, or why you're doing it, but stop it! You're hurting everyone!"

_Guy must have really made him angry beforehand. He usually gives up by now._

"I'm sorry if I made you mad. I'll just leave," he replied, just like usual. They all treated Luke like a child now and danced around his antics.

Luke was still standing over him, and Asch tried to awkwardly get up and around him. Instead of smoothly escaping, Luke pulled him back down and held him down so he couldn't escape.

"Get off," Asch said as he struggled to get up.

"No," Luke replied angrily, and pressed Asch farther back by pinning his arms above his head and against the back of the chair.

"I said get off," Asch repeated. Either Luke had gotten much stronger or he'd gotten a lot weaker, because he couldn't shake him.

"What are you going to do about it?" Luke mocked. Asch gave another weak struggle, but he didn't have any leverage.

"Stop it, Luke. This isn't funny," Asch replied. Luke's childish anger had reached an all time high tonight, and Asch's voice had a hint of rage that hadn't been there in weeks.

"Stop what?" Luke said with a sly smile. He finally got a rise out of Asch, some tiny speck of emotion he could work with. He backed off slightly, however, because a volatile and claustrophobic Asch was like a time bomb.

"You can't keep me here forever," Asch replied, the emotion gone once again.

"Yes I can," Luke mimicked back.

"Can you stop acting like this? Just let go! You're going to get tired and give up anyway!"

He was right, Luke was tired and didn't like arguing with Asch anymore; he wasn't any fun and didn't get as riled up as before. However, he couldn't handle seeing Asch like this, a cadaver of his once passionate anger, something Luke missed desperately. No one was willing to do anything about Asch, so Luke would just have to take responsibility.

"Have you looked at yourself recently? You're wasting away!"

"No I'm not. I just don't feel like eating some times," Asch replied bitterly as if he'd said it a million times over.

Luke pinched at his hollowed-out side and Asch jumped in pain and surprise. Like a light switch he was cursing and struggling against Luke's strong arms until finally he yelled, "So what, Luke? What are you going to do about it? Why won't you give up already!"

Luke almost let go of him in surprise from his words. They were rude and angry and Luke's ribs hurt a little from where he'd been viciously elbowed, but he finally got Asch to speak. The fire in his eyes flickered back, and Luke wanted to hold onto it as long as possible.

"Are you destroying yourself on purpose?" Luke said while keeping his glare fixed on Asch.

Self-destruction was Asch's only way to cope at this point, and he knew that Luke realized it. Nobody else seemed to figure it out.

"Let go of me!" Asch said angrily again.

"So you aren't even gonna try to deny it? Why?"

"Shut up!" Asch spat out angrily.

"You want to die and you can't admit it. At least I was honest about it, but you can't handle it, can you? Either that, or you have something eating away at you, some reason to not off yourself in the middle of the night," Luke replied and watched as animosity seemed to radiate from Asch's freezing skin.

"Shut up already! This has nothing to do with you, so stay out of it!" Asch snarled as he tried to break free again.

"It has everything to do with me! Asch, you don't realize what you've done to me, do you? You can't just pretend to," Luke stopped there, realizing he was the one yelling now.

Asch stopped struggling and calmly replied, "_You_ can pretend to do anything. Pretend_ you_ enjoy being around someone, pretend to be happy around the ones who worry about you the most, pretend like _you_ want to keep living when life means absolutely nothing to you. I have my reasons to pretend, and I have my reasons for shutting you out! Do you really think I want to drag someone down with me?!"

Asch stopped yelling and looked down, away from Luke and to the floor. He was a candle blown out by a gust of hushed air, defeated and fragile once again. The grave silence the lingered at bay rushed back into his lungs and the shadows peeked out from his cheeks once again. Luke let go of his arms and they fell to his sides; Asch's plans to escape seemed to be long forgotten.

"Asch," Luke felt his face soften as he finally got the answer he so desperately needed, "I don't think I'd mind following you down to hell."

"You don't have to tell me what's going on," Luke continued as he sat down next to him. Asch looked over at him but his gloomy appearance didn't change, as if he'd lost the ability to talk after finally saying something.

"You have to say something, eventually. Can't hide anymore," Luke said while grinning.

"No I don't," Asch muttered. He fixed his gaze on the floor but couldn't hide all his hidden emotions that suddenly resurfaced, leaving his skin a mix of anger and sadness and bitterness. Even a slight pastel rose shade powdered his cheeks, giving away his embarrassment at showing any sign of weakness. Luke smirked and felt happiness bubble beneath his skin. _Asch was back._

"Asch," Luke whined sarcastically, this time causing Asch to look up at him with an irked demeanor. Luke put a hand against Asch's cheek and leaned in, hoping to take back what he so desperately missed. Asch leaned in too, and just before their lips met a harsh rapping at the door pulled them away.

"Hey, Luke, is Asch still here? Because its twelve and walking home alone past this time isn't a good idea. His voice was disheveled, which meant he fell asleep on the job, and it was also 12:37.

Asch quietly grabbed his stuff, and walked out past Guy stood outside wiping sleep from his eyes.

Luke sighed loudly when he heard the door click shut and decided he should probably get some sleep. He packed up his things, but when he came across the notebook on the table, he noticed a strange scribble.

_"Meet me outside."_


End file.
